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JS*
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I
I
I
T R A V £ L
INTERIOR OF BRAZIL,
!'RI>' IVAl.lX
TITROUGII THE NORTHERN PROVINCES,
THE GOLD AND DIAMOND DISTRICT.-?,
DURINr, THE ^TIARS 183fi-l,>«»l.
in
GEORGE GARDNER, F.L.S.,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE ROYAL HOTAMC 0.\RDE\S OF CEYLON.
" A ixrpitlout aoUtude of been aud bird*.
And fairy-formed iind manr-ooloar'd tbinga,
• • * • • the giith of iprnif",
And iUl of lofty fountAiuR, Hiid the bend
Of BtiiTln); bruichen, and Uie bud whirL hr'iiK«
The Hwifteit Uionyht of beauty, hcri: exttud,
MinKUne, «nd m»»le by I^^ve, unto ouo rpiRhty end."
Chii i>> Hit'oiii.
LONDO?; :
PRrNTED ANP PUBLISHED BY
UEKVE, BROTHERS, KTNO AVILIJAM STREET, Sll! VND.
y r
»>KVe, BROTIIKBB,
rBiKTBn* ASO i.iTnoo»*rnr.»» o» Bci»RTXfiC wob«»,
■ IHO WIMIAM »T»S«T, ■TBAND.
^*.
^>.
TRAVELS
INTERIOR OF BRAZIL.
TO
SIR WILLIAiM JACKSON HOOKER,
K.IL, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.A., and L.S.,
ricK-rrv»iv%yi or tub Liif^sAW xocibtt; bo^orart KiCxbsr or rn* roiai iiiiau acadbnit;
HSaiBBB or TRB IXrSBlAL ACADBVT CAIAB. LEurOLD. BATCRAI. CVBIODUKCK, XTC, kTC,
AKD
Bixtttav at ft^t Easal ^ar^nuf 0( lietD»
TO WnOMffHE SCIENCE OF BOTANY 18 80 MUCH INDEBTED, \LIKE FOR HIS
LIBERAL PATRONAGE, AND THE CONTEIBUTIONS MADE TO IT
IN THE NUMEROUS AND TALU.iBLE WORKS WHICH HAVE ISSUED FROM HIS PEN,
THE F0LL0\\7NG WORK,
COXTATNTNG THE NARKATIVE OF TRAVKLS,
AVHICH, BUT FOB HIS KINDNESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT,
COULD NEVER RAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN,
IS INSCRIBED,
WITH FI:t?L1N0S op PROFOUND RtSPEOT AND ESTEhM,
BY ins GRATEFl'L FRIEND AND PIPIL,
GEOEGE GARDNER.
P ]{ E ¥ A c i: .
The present volume is not given to t\\v public, l)ecause
the author supposes it presents a better account of
certain parts of the immense Enii)ire of Brazil, tlian is
to be found in the works of other travellers, but because
it contains a description of a large portion of that in-
teresting country, of wliich no account lias yet l)e(^n
presented to the world. It has been his obj( ct to give
as faithful a picture as possible of tlie physical aspcjct
and natural productions of the countiy, together with
cursory remarks on the character, ha})its, and conditicni
of the different races, whether indigenous or otherwise,
of which the population of those parts he visited is now
composed. It is seldom that he has trusted to information
received from others on those pohits ; and he hopt.^s that
this fact will be considered a sufficient reason for his not
entering into desultory details more frequently than he
has done.
HKKFACK.
Ami)le opportunities were offered for studying the
objects lie had in view, of which he never ceased to
avail himself. Besides visiting many places along the
coast, his journeys in the interior were numerous ; and,
although he never ventured, like Waterton — whose vera-
city is not to be doubted — ^to ride on the bare back of
an alligator, or engage in single combat with a Boa
Constrictor, yet he had Ids full share of adventure, parti-
cularly during his last journey, which extended, north to
south, from near the equator to the twenty-third degree
of south latitude ; and east to west, from the coast to
the tributaries of the Amazon. The privations which
the traveller experiences in these uninhabited, and often
desert countries, can scarcely be appreciated by those
"^l;o have ncvtT ventured into them, where he is exposed
at times to a burning sun, at others to torrents of rain,
such as are only to be \vitneb>ed within the tropics,
separated for yciU's from all civilized society, sleeping
fur months tcgctlior in the open air, in all seasons, sur-
rounded by beasts of prey and Itordes of more savage
Indiiius, oftai obliged to carry a supply of water on
hors(iback over the desert tracts, and not unfrequently
passing two or three days without tasting solid food, not
even a monkey coining in the way to sati>fy the cravings
PUEFME.
ni hunger. Notwithstanding these, however, and one.
serious uttaek of illness, his enthusiasm carried him
tiirough all difficulties, and they have in some measure
hoQix repaid by the pleas ire which such wanderuigs
ill ways afford to tlic lo\er of nature, and by the number
ot new species which he has bet n enabled to add to the
already long list of organized beings.
The authoi^ has only further to add, that the notes
from which the narrative has been drawn up, were, for
the most part, written during those hours, which, under
other circumstances, should have been de\oted to slet^p;
and that the* narrative itself was principally comj)Iled
from them, during a voyage from England to the Island
of Cevlon.
Kandy, Ceylon, January 1st, 1846.
TliC manuscript of Mr. Gardner's * Travels in Erazil ' having been
transmitted from Ceylon, and printed during his oflioial residence in
that island, the Publishers feel desirous of expressing the great obliga-
tion they arc under to John M'cis, Esq., in the; absence of the author,
fur his valuable assistance in con-ceting the technical, botanical, and
Brazilian proper names, whilst passing throuirh the press ; the\ al-o
desire to record their sense of th(i kind services rendered by Robert
Reward, Esq., co-operating with Mr. Miers in reading Ui») proofs.
Tendon, October Ut, 1840.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
BIO D£ JANXIBO.
Motives for visitiiig Brazil — ^Voyage from England — ^Arrival at
Bio de Janeiro— Description of the City — ^Its Environs — Geo-
logical Character of its Neighbourhood — Its Climate — Its
Inhabitants — State of Slavery in Brazil — General good treat-
ment of Slaves — ^Different Mixed Baces — ^Excursion to the
Mountains surrounding the Capital — ^Its Botanical Garden —
Museum of Natural History 1
CHAPTER n.
JOUBKET TO AND BS8ID£NC£ IN TH£ OB0AN MOUNTAINS.
Principal Summer Besort of the English Besidents — ^Journey from
Piedade to Mag^ and Frechal — ^Ascent of the Mountains —
Description of Virgin Forests — ^Mr. March's Plantation in the
Serra — ^Treatment of his Slaves — Case of One bitten by a
venomous Snake — ^Limb amputated by the Author — ^Mode of
Treatment in such cases among the Natives — Charms — ^Tapir-
Hunting in the Mountains — ^Beasts, Birds, and Beptiles found
there — ^Visit to a Brazilian Pazendeiro— To Constantia — ^Ascent
of the loftiest Peaks — ^Vegetable Productions in those elevated
regions — ^Pleasant Sogoum on the Estate 37
CHAPTER in.
BAHIA AND FEBNAMBUCO.
Departure from Bio de Janeiro — ^Arrival at Bahia— Description of
that City — ^Voyage to Pemambuco — Jangadas — ^Description of
the City and Environs of Pemambuco— The Jesuits— The
X. CONTENTS.
Favr.
Peasantry — ^Town of Olinda — Its Colleges and Botanic Garden
— ^Visit to the Village of Monteiro — ^The Gennan Colony of
Catuca — ^The Island of Itamarica — ^Pilar — Saltworks of Jagua-
ripe — ^Prevalent Diseases in the Island — Its Fisheries — ^Peculiar
Mode of Captm-e 73
CHAPTER IV.
ALAGOAS AND THE BIO SAN TRANCISCO.
The Author's Motive for this Excursion — ^Voyage to the South-
ward— ^Description of the Coast and Observations on the great
Bestinga — Beaches Barra de S. Antonio Grande — Arrives at ^
Maceio — ^Description of the Town and surrounding Country —
Besolves to visit the Bio San Francisco — ^Embarks in a Jangada
and coasts to the Southward — ^Batel — ^Lands at Peba — Journey
thence to Piassabassii on the Bio San Francisco — Ascends the
Biver to Penedo — ^The Town Described — ^Productions of the
District — ^Its Population — Voyage up the Biver — Mode of Navi-
gation— ^Arrives at Propiha — ^Vegetation of the Country — ^Des-
cription of a Market Fair — ^Dress of the Pec^le — ^Voyage con-
tinued to Traipu — Passes the Ilha dos Prazeres — ^Barra de
Panema — Abundance of Fish of the Salmon Tribe — Village of
Lagoa Funda — Island of S. Pedro — ^Its Indian Population des-
cribed— Continues the Voyage — ^Fearful Storm — Betum to S.
Pedro, Serious Illness and detention there — Scarcity of Food
Benoimces in consequence all intention of proceeding furthe^—
Betums to Penedo — Scheme for Navigating the Bio San Fran-
cisco— ^Beason why it will never succeed — Arrives again at
Maceio— Visits Alagoas — ^That City Described — ^Leaves Maceio
— ^Coasting Voyage — Singular Mode of catching Fish — ^Betum
to Pemambuco 100
CHAPTER V,
CEABA.
PEBNAHBUCO TO CRATO.
The Author leaves Pemambuco in a Coasting Vessel — ^Description
of the Voyage — Touches at Cape San Boque — ^Arrives at Aracaty
— Seaport of Province of Ceara — ^Town described — ^its Trade —
Whole Province subject to great droughts — Commencement of
Journey into the Interior — ^Passes Villa de San Bernardo-
Arid nature of the Country — Catingas — ^Arrives at Ico — ^Town
\
CONTENTS. XI.
Pace.
described — Journey continued — ^Villa da Lavra de Mangabeim
— Gold Washings abandoned — Country begins to improve—
Beaches the Villa do Crato— Town described — Low state of
morals among the Inhabitants — Sugar Plantations — ^Mode of
Manufacture — Coarse kind of Sugar formed into Cakes called
Eapadura, in which state it is used throughout the Province —
State of Cultivation in the Neighbourhood — Production of the
Country — Serra de Araripe — ^Different kinds of timber — ^Wild
fruits — ^Wandering tribes of Gypsies frequent — Great religious
Festival — Climate — ^Diseases 149
CHAFTER VI.
GEABA CONTINUED.
Eeasons for delaying journey into the Interior — ^Visits, meanwhile,
different places in the Vicinity of Crato^Crosses the Serra de
Araripe — ^Beaches Cajazeira — Arrives at Barra do Jardim —
Description of that Town and Neighbourhood — Meets with an
- interesting deposit of Fossil fishes — Geological character of the
Country — ^Detects a very extensive range of Chalk formation —
First discovery of such Beds in South America — ^The accom-
panying formation described — ^This range of Mountains encircles
the vast Plain comprising the Provinces of Piauhy and Maranham
— Arrives at Ma^ape — Great religious Festival on Christmas
day — Meets with an accident — ^Visits also Novo Mundo — Dis-
covers other deposits of Fossil Fishes near these places — Vege-
table productions along the Taboleira — ^Different Tribes of un-
civilized Indians in that Neighbourhood — Curious account of
the fanatical sect of the Sebastianistas — ^Thcir extravagant belief
Commit human sacrifices — ^Their destruction and dispersion —
Returns to Crato 198
CHAPTER VII.
CRATO TO PIAUHY.
Preparations for the Journey — Leaves Crato — ^Passes Guaribas —
Beaches Brejo grande — Discovers more Fossil Fishes — Passes
Olho d'Agoa do Inferno — ^Arrives at P090 de Cavallo— Crauata
— Cachoeira — ^Marmeleira — ^Bosario— Os defuntos — Lagoa —
Varzea da Vaca — ^Angicas — Crosses the boundary line of the
Province of Piauhy — ^Arrives at San Gonsalvo — Campos — Lagoa
comprida — ^Difficulties of the road — ^Reaches Corumata — Cana-
Xll. C0KTENT8.
brava — ^Arrives at Boa Esperan^a, a lairge estate owned by an
excellent clergyman — ^Is now in the midst of the great Cattle
Districts — ^Nature of the Country described — ^Marked into two
Kinds, Mimoso and Agreste — ^Passes Santa Aima das MeroSs
— San Antonio — Cachimbinho— Vegetation of the surrounding
Country — ^Beaches Eetiro— Buquerao — Canavieira — Crosses the
Biver Canind^ and arrives at Oeiras, the Capital of the Province
of Piauhy 323
CHAPTER VIII.
OEIBAS TO PARNAOUA.
The Author's reception by the President of Piauhy — City of Oeiras
described — Its Population — ^Its Trade with the Coast — Great
want of Biver Navigation — Its chief exports are hides and cattle
— Its Climate — ^Diseases — Character of the Barao de Pamahiba
— His great power in the Province — ^History of this remarkable
Man — ^And of the Civil War on Declaration of the Independence
of Brazil — ^Besources of the Province — ^National Cattle Farms
— Course of the Author's Journey quite changed by an alarming
Bevolt — This Insurrection described — He determines on tra-
velling southwards through Goyaz and Minas Geraes — Leaves
Oeiras — ^Description of the Country — Chapadas — ^Passes through
many Cattle Parms — Curious mode of catching Cattle — Passes
Pombas — Algodoes — Golfes — ^Betiro Alegre — Genipapo — Ca-
navieira— ^Urusuhy — ^Prazeres — ^Description of a Piauhy Family
Beaches Flores — Bapoza — Arrives at Pamagua — ^Universal
Hospitality of the Natives — Salt found in the Neighbourhood. 354
CHAPTER IX.
PAENA6UA TO NATIVIDADE.
Leaves Pamagu& — ^Arrives at Saco do Tanque — Carrapatos a great
pest to Travellers and Cattle — ^Vegetation of the Country —
Crosses the Serras da Batalha and de Matto Grosso, the boun-
dary of the Province of Piauhy — ^Descends into the district of
Bio Preto— Account of the Cherente Indians — ^Arrives at Santa
Bosa — Crosses the Biver Preto— Beaches the desolate region
of Os Geraes — Passes over the elevated table-land Chapada da
Mangabeira — ^Arrives at thelndianMissionofDuro— Description
of these Indians — Beaches Cachoeira — Crosses the Serra do Duro
Fords the Biver Manoel Alves — Arrives at Almns — Galheiro
CONTENTS. X1U«
moito — Morhinoe — Abundance of Wild Honey — Description of
several kinds of Bees — ^Reaches Nossa Senhora d'Ampaii —
Mato Viigem — Groitre not nncommon — ^Passes Sociedade — ^Ar-
rayal da Chapada — ^And arrives at Natividade 298
CHAPTER X.
NATrVIDADB TO AKSAYAS.
The Town of Natividade described — ^Its Population — ^Dress and
Manners of the People— Its Climato — ^Diseases — Goitre ex-
tremely prevalent — ^Excursion to the neighbouring lofty Moun-
tain Bange— Its Greology and Vegetation — ^Visits the Arraial da
Chapada — ^Leaves Natividade — ^Passes San Bento, and arrives
at the Arraial de Concei<jao— Its Population — ^Very subject to
Goitre — ^Probable cause of this Complaint— Beaches Barra, and
crosses the Bio de Palma — ^Arrives at Santa Brida — Stays at
Sape — ^Account of the Animal and Vegetable Productions of the
Neighbourhood — ^Beaches the Villa de Arrayas — the Town des-
cribed— Geological Peatures of the surrounding Country — ^Its
Climate and Productions — ^Alarm of the Inhabitants — Muster
of the National Guard — ^P^aration for departure 886
CHAPTER XI.
ABSATAS TO SAN BOMAO.
Departure from Arrayas — ^Beasons for preferring the Boute along
the Serra Geral — ^Passes Gamelleira — ^Bonita — ^Beaches San Do-
mingo—San Joao-— San Bernardo— Curious Fact respecting the
Bio San Bernardo— Passes Boa Vista — Country consists of very
elevated table-lands — ^Its Natural Productions — ^Arrives at Ca-
pella da Posse — San Pedro— San Antonio— D6res — ^Biachao— .
Animals greatly tormented by large Bats — Habits of these Vam-
pires— ^Beaches San Vidal — ^Flight of Locusts — ^Passes Nossa
Senhora d*Abbadia — ^Campinhas — Pasquada — San Francisco —
Crosses Biver Carynhenha and enters the province of Minas
Geraes — Country described — ^Habits of the great Ant-eater —
Passes Capao de Casca — ^Descent of the Serra das Ar&ras —
Beaches San Jose — Bio Claro—Boquerao— Santa Maria — Espi-
gao — Taboca — San Miguel — Crosses Biver Urucuya — ^Passes
Biachao — Arrives at San Bomao — Town described — Its Popu-
lation— ^Habits of the People — Bio de San Francisco— Descrip-
tion of the different varieties of the Sahnon tribe found in it . . 875
PMe.
XIV. CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII.
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT.
Leaves San Bomao — Passes Guaribas — ^Passagem — Geraes Velhas
— Espigao — Gaisluti — Cabeceira — ^Arrives at the Villa de For-
migas — ^Town described — Acoount of the impostor Douville —
Country around rich in botanical products — Passes Viados —
Arrives at the Arraial de Bomfim — Beaches San Elo — Sitio —
Gomes to a Gold Working called Lavrinha — Crosses the Eiver
Inhadca — ^Beaches As Vargems — ^Begisto do Bio Inhahy —
Bassoras on the Biver Jiquitinhonha — Examines a Diamond
Mine — Formation in which the Diamond is found — Mode of
working it — Arrives at the Arraial de Mendanha — ^Town des-
cribed— ^Ascends the Serra de Mendanha — Beaches Duas Pontes
— Arrives at the Cidade Diamantina, formerly the Arraial de
Tejuco, the Capital of the Diamond District — ^Town situated on
side of hill — ^Description of its Population — ^Their mode of Dress
— ^Its cold Temperature — ^Productions of its Neighbourhood
— Mining for Diamonds, formerly a privileged Monopoly, now
open to all — Character of Miners — ^Extent of Diamond Mines
— Privilege of Slaves there employed — Climate very Healthy —
Women very Handsome— Complaints incident to its Climate —
Loyalty shown by its Inhabitants — ^Fatality among Horses ... 419
CHAFTER XIIL
CIDADE DIAHANTINA TO OURO FRETO.
Leaves the Cidade Diamantina — Beaches As Borbas — Passes the
Arraial do Milho — Tres Bairas — Arrives at the Cidade do SeiTO,
formerly Villa do Principe — ^The Town described — Passes Tapan-
huacanga — ^Betiro de PaKre Bento — N.S. de Concei<^o — ^Des-
cription of an Iron Smelting Work at Girao — ^Vast abundance
of Iron Ores in this District — Beaches Escadinha — Morro de
Gaspar Scares and two other Iron Smelting Works and Forges
— ^Ponte Alta — Itamb^ — ^Passes On9a — Ponte de Machado,
where frost was seen — and arrives at Cocaes — ^Visits the large
Establishment of the Cocaes English Mining Company — ^The
Author's unkind reception by the Director of that Establishment
— ^Beaches S. Joao do Morro Grande,part of theMiningEstabHsh-
ment of the English Gongo Sooo Company — Hospitable recep-
tion— and visit to the Gold Mines — Its Workings described —
Geological structure of the Mines and the surrounding Country
CONTENTS. XV.
Page.
— Leaves Congo Soco and passes Monro Yelho — ^Bapoza — And
reaches the Establishment of another English Mining Company
at Morro Velho — ^The Author's delight on receiving letters after
two years' absence — His kind reception and abode there — ^Village
of Congonhas de Sabar^ described — Attached to the Gold Mines
of Monro Velho— Account of those Mines — Mode of working
and extracting Gold from the Ore — ^Visits the City of Sabaril
l^Iining Establishment of Cuiaba — Serra de Piedade — ^And Serra
del Curral del Key — ^Leaves Morro Velho— Reaches the Villa
de Caet^ — ^Passes S. Jos^ de Morro Grande — ^Barra — ^Brumado
— Serra de CaraQa — Catas altas — Infi^ciouado — Bento Eodri-
guez — Camargos — ^And reaches San Caetano — ^Visits the City
of Mariana — Passes the Serra de Itacolumi — ^Arraial dePassagem
— And arrives at the City of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Eica —
City described — ^its Population — College — ^and Botanic Garden 472
CHAPTER XIV.
OUEO P&ETO TO BIO DE JANEIBO, AND SECOND VISIT TO
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Leaves Ouro Preto— Arrives at San Caetano — Passes Arraial de
Pinheiro— Piranga-7-Filippe Alvez — San Caetano — Pozo Alegre
— Sadly incommoded by a thunder-storm — ^Beaches Arraial das
MercSs Chapeo d'Uva — ^Entre os Morros — Crosses Bio Parahy-
buna — And enters the Province of Bio de Janeiro — Passes Paiol
— BeachesVilla deParahyba — Crosses the BiverParahyba — ^Mode
of Ferrying described — ^Passes Padre Correa — Corrego Seco—
Beaches summit Pass of the Serra d'Estrella — Magnificent View
of the Metropolitan City, its Harbour, and surrounding scenery
— ^Arrives at Porto d'EstreUa — Embarks for the City and finally
arrives at Bio de Janeiro— All the CoDections brought from the
Interior are arranged and shipped to England — ^The Author
resolves again to visit the Organ Mountains — ^His departure for
the Serra — ^Adds largely to hi» Collections — ^Ascends the loftiest
peaks of the Mountains — Their elevation above the sea about
7,500 feet — ^Departs on an excursion to the Interior — ^Passes
the Serra do Capim — Monte CaflK — Santa Eliza — Sapucaya —
Porto d'Anta — Crosses Bio Parahyba — ^Passes Barro do Louri-
cal — San Jos6 — ^Porta da Cunha — Becrosses the Bio Parahyba
— ^Beaches Cantagallo— Visits Novo Friburgo — Description of
these two Swiss Colonies — ^Pleasant sojourn in the Organ
Mountains 513
XTl. C0VTBMT8.
CHAPTER XV.
HA&ANHAIf, YOYAOE TO ENGLAND, CONCLUSION.
Leaves the Organ Mountains and returns to Sio de Janeiro— -em-
barks for England witJi large collections of living and dried Plants
— ^Touches at Maranham — City described — Its Population —
Public Buildings^— and Trade— Oeology of its neighbourhood
— ^Visits Alcantara — Sails for England — Gtdph Weed — ^Its great
extent and origin — ^Flying Fishes — Observations on their mode
of flight — ^Remarkable Phosphorescence at Sea — ^Description of
the singular animal that causes this phenomenon — ^Its curious
nests — Scintillations at Sea caused by a very minute kind of
Shrimp—Arrives in England — Concluding remarks 548
I'
' • - " •
A
:yiA'^ oj-^sniA^iiiL
TRAVELS
INTERIOR OF BRAZIL.
CHAPTER I.
RIO DE JANEIRO.
Motives for visiting Brazil — ^Voyage from England — Arrival at Bio
de Janeiro — Description of the City — Its Environs — Geological
Character of its Neighbourhood — Its Cliihate — Its Inhabitants —
State of Slavery in Brazil — Greneral good treatment of Slaves —
Different Mixed Eaces — ^Excursion to the Mountains surrounding
the Capital — Its Botanical Garden — Museum of Natural History.
Having devoted much of my leisure time, during the
course of a medical education, to the study of Natural
Histoiy generally, but more particularly to Botany ; and
my mind being excited by the glowing descriptions, which
Humboldt and other travellers have given of the beauty
and variety of the natural productions of tropical countries,
the magnificence of their mountain scenery, and the splen-
dour of their skies, an ardent desire seized me to travel
in such regions.
My early patron and teacher in Botany, Sir William J.
Hooker, then professor of that science in the University
of Glasgow, aware of my wishes, strongly recommended
a voyage to some part of South America ; and Brazil was
fixed on as the best field for my researches, as the vege-
table productions of that immense empire were then less
known to the English botanist than those perhaps of any
other country of equal size in the world. It was true that
it had been visited both by German and FrenchNaturalists,
but no Englishmen, with the exception of Cunningham
and Bowie, and the intrepid Burchell, had penetrated into
the interior ; whole provinces, particularly in the north,
still lay open as virgin fields for the investigations of some
future traveller ; and these I was desirous to explore.
The preparations necessary for such an undertaking
having been completed, I left Glasgow on the 14th of
May, 1836, and on the 20th of the same month embarked
at Liverpool, on board the Barque ' Memnon,' bound for
Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. The voyage across
the Atlantic to South America has been too often described
for me to say more than that we had a fair share of calms
and squalls, of bright skies and brilliant sun-sets, of sharks
and whales, flying fishes, and phosphorescent waves. A
tedious, but not unpleasant voyage, brought us in sight
of land on the 22nd of July. When day broke. Cape
Erio, as had been predicted by the captain, was seen,
bearing N.N.E., about twenty-five miles distant. This
Cape is about seventy miles to the eastward of Rio de
Janeiro, and a range of high imdulating hills stretch be-
tween them, covered to their topmost ridge with trees. On
their summits, numerous Palms with their slender shafts
RIO D|S JANEIRO. 3
surmomited by a ball-like mass of leaves, rising far above
the other denizens of the forest, and standing boldly out
in reUef against a beautiful blue sky, give a marked cha-
racter to the scene, and silently proclaim to the European
his approach to a world the vegetation of which is very
diflFerent firom that of the one he has so recently left.
The winds were hght all day, and as we sailed close along
the coast, my eye, through the medium of the ship's teles-
cope, was constantly surveying the wild but beautiful
scene, and in imagination I was already revelling amid
its multiform natural productions.
It was long past noon before we reached the entrance
to the Bay of Rio, which is very remarkable for the
number of conical hills and islands which are to be seen
on both sides of it. One of these hills is the well-known
Ko d'Afucar, so called from its resemblance to a sugar-
loaf. It is a soUd mass of granite, rising to the height
of about one thousand feet, and destitute of vegetation,
with the exception of a few stunted shrubs on its eastern
declivity. Seen from a great distance at sea, it is an
admirable land-mark for ships making the port. Passing
through the magnificent portal, we came to an anchor a
few miles below the city, not being allowed to proceed
further till we were visited by the authorities. It is
quite impossible to express the feelings which arise in the
mind while the eye surveys the beautifully varied scenery
which is disclosed on entering the harbour — scenery which
is perhaps unequalled on the face of the earth, and on the
production of which nature seems to have exerted all her
energies. Since then I have visited many places celebrated
for their beauty and their grandeur, but none of them
b2
4 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
have left a like impression upon my mind. As far up
the Bay as the eye could reach, lovely little verdant and
palm-clad islands were to be seen rising out of its dark
bosom, while the hUls and lofty mountains which sur-
round it on all sides, gilded by the rays of the setting
sun, formed a befitting frame for such a picture. At
night the lights of the city had a fine effect ; and when
the land-breeze began to blow, the rich odour of the
orange and other perfumed flowers, was borne sea-ward
along with it, and, by me, at least, enjoyed the more from
having been so long shut out from the companionship
of flowers. Ceylon has been celebrated by voyagers for
its spicy odours, but I have twice made its shores with
a land breeze blowing, without experiencing any half so
sweet as those which greeted my arrival at Rio.
On the following morning, the 23rd of July, I first
put foot on the shores of the great continent of the new
world. K the aspect of the country, and the nature of
the vegetation were so different from those of the old
country, how much more strange were the human beings
which first met my sight on landing. The numerous
small boats and canoes which ply about in the harbour,
are all manned with African blacks; the long narrow
streets through which we passed were crowded with the
same race, nearly naked, many of them sweating under
their loads, and smelling so strongly as to be almost in-
tolerable. Scarcely a white face was to be seen. The
shops, in the most of which both the doors and windows
are thrown open during the day, seemed to be attended
to by Mulattos, or by Portuguese of nearly as dark a
hue. Seen from the ship in the morning the city had a
KIO BE JANEIRO. 5
most imposing appearance, from its position, and the
number of its white-washed churches and houses ; but
nearer contact with it dispelled the illusion. The streets
are narrow and dirty, and what with the stench from the
thousands of negroes which throng them, and the effluvia
from the numerous provision shops, the first impressions
are anything but agreeable. I could not help recalling
to mind the lines, in ' Childe Harold,' which Byron has
appUed to the capital of the mother country : —
" But whoso entereth within this town,
That, sheening far, celestial seems to be.
Disconsolate will wander up and down,
'Mid many things unsightly to strange ee ;
For hut and palace show like filthily :
The dingy citizens are reared in dirt. — "
The city of Bio occupies part of an irregular triangular
tongue of land, which is situated on the west side of the
Bay, about three miles northward from the entrance.
The ground on which it stands is, for the most part,
level, but towards the north, the west, and the south-east,
it is bounded by a series of hills. The long narrow streets
run at right angles to each other, by which the houses
are thrown into great square masses. The new town
stretches out in a north-west direction, and is separated
from the old one by a large square called the Campo de
Santa Anna. Beyond it a narrow branch of the Bay
runs inland, to the left of which is the extensive suburb
of Catumbi, and farther on those of Mataporco and
Engenho Velho. Besides the Campo de Santa Anna
there are two other large squares, one before the theatre,
and another at the landing place, in which is situated the
6 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
palace formerly occupied by the Viceroys. The Royal
Palace of S. Cristovao, the residence of the Emperor, is a
great and irregular mass of building, situated a little way
beyond the new town.
Not only are the streets narrow and dirty, but they
are also badly Ughted and worse paved, notwithstanding
the city is immediately surrounded by mountains of
the most beautiful granite. The houses are very sub-
stantially built, for the most part of granite, consistmg
principally of only two or three stories. It contains seve-
ral fine churches, but few of them are so situated as to be
seen to advantage. That of Nossa Senhora da Gloria
is one of the most conspicuous, being placed on a rounded
hill of the same name, that juts into the sea between the
city and the Praia de Flamengo. Besides the churches
there are many other pubUc buildings, among which may
be mentioned the Monastery of San Bento, near the har-
bour, the Convent of Santa Thereza on the brow of a
hill beside the noble aqueduct by which the water for the
supply of the city is conveyed firom the mountains, a
Mint, an Opera House, a Theatre, a public Library, which
is said to contain about one hundred thousand volumes,
a Museum of Natural History, a Medical School, two
Hospitals, and, what the inhabitants boast very much of,
the Camara dos Senadores, which is equivalent to our
House of Lords. It is a very handsome building, which
was erected a few years ago on the north side of the
Campo de Santa Anna. Scattered through the city there
are some fine fountains, to which water is conveyed by
an aqueduct. One of them is in the palace square, for
the supply of the ships in the harbom*. The aqueduct
RIO DE JANEIRO. 7
itself is upwards of six miles in length, and is terminated
city-wards by a magnificent row of double arches.
From an eminence within the city, called the Castle Hill,
a fine view both of the city and bay is obtained. It also
commands a delightful prospect of the country on the
opposite side of the bay, with the dty of Nitherohy, or
Praia Grande, in the for^round, and the lofty Organ
mountains towering in the distance to the left. There
are many parts of the country in the immediate neigh-
bourhood ^f Rio, which remind a Scotchman of some of
the highland scenery of his native country, but with this
difierence, that, whilst there the mountains are bleak and
barren, here they are covered to their summits with a
luxuriant tropical vegetation.
The great desire of the inhabitants seems to be to give
an European air to the dty. This has already been ac-
complished to a great extent, partly from the influx of
Europeans themselves, and partly by those Brazihans who
have visited Europe either for their education or other-
wise. It is but seldom now that those extraordinary
dresses, both of ladies and gentlemen, which we see re-
presented in the publications of those travellers who
visited Rio even in the early part of the present century,
are to be seen in the streets. A few old women only,
and those mostly coloured, are observed wearing the comb
and mantilla ; and the cocked hat and gold buckles are
also all but extinct. Now, both ladies and gentlemen
dress in the height of Parisian fashion, and both are ex-
ceedingly fond of wearing jewellery. One of the finest
streets in the city is the Rua d'Ouvidor, not because it is
broader, deaner, or better paved than the others, but
8 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
because the shops in it rfffe principally occupied by French
milliners, jewellers, tailors, booksellers, confectioners,
shoe-makers, and barbers. These shops are fitted up
with an elegance which the stranger is quite unprepared
to meet. Many of them are furnished with windows
formed of large panes of plate glass, similar to those which
are now so common in every large town in Great Britain.
Indeed, it is the Regent Street of Rio, and in it almost
any European luxury can be obtained.
A few years ago omnibusses were started tg run from
the city to the different suburbs. Small steamers ply
regularly between Rio and the city of Nitherohy on the
opposite side of the bay, and one runs daily to Piedade
at the head of it. There is a yearly exhibition of the fine
arts, in which are exposed many tolerable pictures both
by native and foreign artists. Music is very much culti-
vated, and the piano, which, at the time when Spix and
Martins visited Rio, in 1817, was only to be met with in
the richest houses, has now become almost universal.
The guitar was formerly the favourite instrument, as it
still is all over the interior. There are excellent schools
for the education of boys; and boarding schools have
been established for young ladies, which are conducted
on the same principles as those of a similar nature in
England. Being the capital of the empire, and there
being residents at the court fix)m most of the European
nations, Rio is the scene of much greater gaiety than is
. generally supposed by those who have never visited it.
But as all these matters have been more learnedly " dis-
coursed of," than I profess to be able to do, I shall pass
over in silence the levees, the opera, the theatres, whether
mo DE JANEIRO. 9
Prencli or Portuguese, and the b^s, public as well as
private, which engross quite as much of the attention of
the fashionable world here as elsewhere.
Of the many European merchants established here,
who for the most part are EngUsh, few reside in the city,
most of them having country houses in the suburbs. On6
of the most fashionable resorts is a lovely spot about two
miles out, called Botafogo. There the houses are built
along the semicircular shore of a quiet bay, which is
nearly surrounded by high lulls. Immediately behind
the houses, and almost overhanging them, stands a very
remarkable mountam called the Corcovado, which rises to
upwards of two thousand feet above the level of the sea,
about two thirds of its eastern face being a perpendicular
precipice. Many other European residences are situated
in Catete and on the Praia de Flamengo, between Bota-
fogo and the dty ; and in the Laranjeiras valley, which
stretches up from Catete towards the mountains ; others
exist at the opposite extrenwty of the city, in the district
of Engenho Velho.
There is one thing wanting in the neighbourhood of
Bio which no large city should be without — a public
drive. This, I find in India, is a point particularly at-
tended to, whenever, even a few, Europeans are located
together. At Rio those who wish to take a morning or
an evening drive, can only do so on the public roads,
which are only fit for carriages to run on for a few miles
out of the city. There is, indeed, quite close to it what
is called the Passeio Publico, a large garden with shady
walks, but it is only intended for those who walk. Of
an evening, when the weather is fine, it is much frequented
10 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
by the citizens. The Botanic Garden, which is about
eight miles distant from the dty, is a place of great
resort.
On landing I took up my residence at an Italian hotel,
in one of the principal streets, but as this was not a place
fitted to my pursuits, as soon as all my luggage was
landed, I removed to the boarding house of an old English
lady, who had then been about thirty years in the coun-
try. It was about three or four miles from the city,
situated in a beautiful valley which stretches from the
suburb of Engenho Velho towards the Corcovado moun-
tain, and called Rio Comprido, from a small stream so
named which runs through it. Here I had my head-
quarters for about five months, and during that period
my excursions extended in all directions round the city.
Frequent visits were made to the mountains, which are
all covered with dense virgin forests — ^to the humid val-
leys— ^to the swampy tracts which lie to the north of the
city — to the sea shores — ^and to the islands in the bay.
From these rambles there resulted a rich botanical har-
vest, besides numerous specimens belonging to other
branches of natural history. But as an eternal spring and
summer reign in this happy climate, and as almost every
plant has its own season for the production of its flowers,
every month is characterized by a difierent Flora. It is,
then, scarcely to be expected that a residence of but a
few months can afford more than a veiy partial knowledge
of its vegetable riches.
The whole of the country around Bio is essentially
granitic, all the rocks being of that nature to which the
name of Gneiss-granite has been appUed, frt)m their pos-
BIO DE JANEIRO. 11
sessing decided marks of stratification. The mountams
generally run in chains having no particular direction,
and are of all sizes, from slight eminences to mountains
which rise from 2000 to 3000 feet above the level of the
sea. The loftier of these mountains, such as the Peak of
Tejuca, the Corcovado, and the Gavea, have their south-
east sides bare and precipitous, while those to the north-
ward have a gradual ascent, and are wooded to their
summit. Notwithstanding the enormous length of time
which the sides of these mountains have been covered
with their mighty forests, the alluvial layer of soil which
rests on them is very thin. This, however, may be ac-
counted for by the heavy rains washing it, as well as the
materials from which it is formed, down into the vaflies,
where the alluvium is often found to be many feet deep.
Hence it is that the deep vallies which intersect the moun-
tain ranges are the principal seats of agricultinral industry ;
and some of them, particularly in the vicinity of the city,
are thickly studded vrith habitations, surrounded with
plantations of Cofiee, Oranges, Bananas, and Mandioca.
Many of the lower hills near the city are now also cleared
and planted with Cofiee, but the plantations were too
young when I left to form any idea of their success at so
low a level. Beneath the alluvium there is a bed of
reddish-coloured clay, which is very tenacious when wet.
It is often from thirty to forty feet in thickness, and is
not peculiar to the province, as I have met with it in
every part of Brazil where I have travelled. It frequently
contains numerous boulders, consisting of rounded, as
well as angular fragments of Gneiss, Granite, and Quartz,
and is often inter-stratified with various beds of sand and
12 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
gravel. It is obvious then from these observations, that
the soil around Bio itself is not generally rich. Indeed,
the first thing which strikes a stranger on his arrival, is
the apparent poverty of the soil contrasted with the rich-
ness of the vegetation. But for the humidity of the
atmosphere, the heavy dews of the dry season, and the
rains of the wet, combined with the heat of a tropical
sun, the greater part of the country immediately sur-
rounding Rio would not be worthy of cultivation. The
very small quantity of soil which suffices for some plants
is quite astonishing to a European. Rocks, on which
scarcely a trace of earth is to be observed, are covered
with FelloziaSy TillandaiaSy MelastomaceeBy Cacti, Orchi-
dea, and FemSy and all in the vigour of life.
The climate of Rio has been very much modified by
the clearing away of the forests in the neighbourhood.
Previous to this the seasons could scarcely be divided
into wet and dry as they are at present. Then rains fell
nearly all the year round, and thunder-storms were not
only more frequent, but more violent. So much has the
moisture been reduced, that the supply of water for the
city has been considerably diminished, and the govern-
ment has, in consequence, forbidden the further destnic-
tion of the forests on the Corcovado range, towards the
sources of the aqueduct. During the months of May,
June, July, August, and September, the climate is usually
delightful, being the dry as well as the cool season. The
mean temperatiu-e of the year is 72°. Although frequent
showers fall during the dry season, yet they are not to be
compared with the continued rains of the other, which
generally commence in October. The rainy season sets
RIO DE JANEIRO. 13
in with heavy thuftder-storms, which are of most frequent
occurrence in the afternoon.
The population of Rio consists principally of Portuguese
and their descendants, both white and coloured ; those
only bom in the country are styled BraziUans ; and ever
since its independence as an empire in 1820, a very bad
feehng has existed between them and those who are
natives Portugal. But this feeUng is less common
among the higher than the lower orders, and is, per-
haps, more strongly marked in the inner provinces than
on the coast. Wherever any riot, or any attempt at
revolt takes place in the interior — and such occurrences
are now, unfortunately, but too common — ^the poor
Portuguese are the first to fall victims, being but-
chered without mercy, and robbed of all they possess.
Notwithstanding the ill usage they receive, hundreds of
them arrive yearly to push their fortune in the country,
which, at one time, formed the richest gem in the crown
of Portugal. Many of those who call themselves white
in Brazil, scarcely deserve the title, as few of those fami-
Kes who have been long in the country, have preserved
the purity of the original stock. The inhabitants of Rio
are in general short, and shghtly made, and form a great
contrast to the tall and handsome inhabitants of the Pro-
vinces of San Paulo and Minas Geraes, and even those of
several of the northern provinces. The Brazihan wherever
he is met with is always pohte, and but very seldom in-
hospitable, especially in the less frequented parts of the
country. He is much more temperate in his drinking
than in his eating, and much addicted to snuiBT-taking as
well as to smoking: hence the prevalence of dyspeptic
14 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
and nervous complaints among them.* Marriage is less
common in Brazil than in Europe, a fact which accounts
for the greater laxity of morals which exists here among
both sexes. The women are generally short, and when
young are pretty and agreeal)le, but as they increase in
years they mostly get very corpulent, from their hving
well and taking but little exercise. In Bio and the other
large towns, they always make their appearance when
strangers call, but such is not the case in most parts of
the interior; there they still remain shy, but with an
abundance of curiosity. I have Uved for a week at a
time in houses where I was well aware there were ladies,
without ever seeing more of them than their dark eyes
peering through chinks about the doors of the inner
apartments. In the distant province of Goyaz, Matto-
Grosso, and Piauhy, nearly all classes of them are as
much addicted to the use of the pipe as the men. It is
but very seldom that native Indians are to be seen in Rio ;
I was several months in the country before I saw one.
The brown boatmen, in the harbour, who have been
taken for Indians, are, as Spix and Martins have already
observed, Mulattoes of various shades of colour.
Much has been written on slavery as it exists in Brazil.
It is a subject of great importance, and demands a much
greater amount of observation than has generally occurred
to those who have written on it at greatest length. Those
have mostly been voyagers, en passant, who have derived
their knowledge from others, and not from personal ob*
servation. The most ridiculous stories are told by the
European residents to strangers on their arrival, as I well
know from personal experience. One of the more recent
EIO BE JANEIRO. 15
works on Brazil, which on its appearance was the most
accredited in Europe, is, perhaps, the least to be depended
on. I have good authority for stating that the author
noted down every statement that was made to him, how-
ever extraordinary, without the slightest examination as
to its truth. More than one individual has informed me,
that, at dinner parties, they have heard persons present,
who were more famed for their wit than their veracity,
cramming him with information about Brazil, which, in
truth, was worse than no information at all ; but every-
thing seemed to be acceptable, and was immediately
entered in his note-book.
In the year 1825, Humboldt estimated the entire
population of Brazil at about 4,000,000 ; of this number
he calculated that 920,000 were whites, 1,960,000 ne-
groes, and 1,120,000 mixed races and native Indians.
Here the proportion of the coloured races to the whites is
about three to one. Later estimates give an entire popu-
lation of 5,000,000 ; and the proportion of the coloured
race to the whites stands as four to one. It was supposed
at the time when the law was passed to render illegal the
introduction of new slaves, that the proportional number
would speedily decline. Had this law been strictly ob-
served such would, no doubt, have been the case, as it is
well known that the number of births fall far short of the
deaths among the slave population in Brazil. This does
not arise from their ill usage, as some writers have sup-
posed, but from the well-known fact that a greater pro-
portion of males than of females have at all times been
introduced to the country. On some estates in the inte-
rior the proportion of females to nudes is often as low as
16 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
one to ten. In the Diamond District, in particular,
females are very scarce. The law, however, has not been
attended to, and the consequence of incessant introduction
is, that the number of slaves in the country has not de-
clined. During the five years which I spent in Brazil, I
have good reason for believing that the supply was always
nearly equal to the demand, even in the most distant
parts of the empire. Notwithstanding the vigilance of
the cruisers both on the coast of Brazil and that of Africa,
it was well known to every one in Bio, that cargoes of
slaves were regularly landed even within a few miles of
the city ; and during several voyages which I have made
in canoes and other small craft along the shores of the
northern provinces, I have repeatedly seen cargoes of from
one to three hundred slaves landed, and have heard of
others. There are many favourite landing places between
Bahia and Pemambuco, particularly near the mouth of
the Rio San Francisco. Again and agam, while travelling
in the interior, I have seen troops of new slaves of both
sexes, who could not speak a single word of Portuguese,
varying from twenty to one hundred individuals, marched
inland for sale, or already belonging to proprietors of
plantations. These bands are always under the escort of
armed men, and those who have already been bought,
are not unfrequently made to carry a small load, usually
of agricultural implements. There is no secrecy made of
their movements, nay, magistrates themselves are very
often the purchasers of them. It is likewise well known
that the magistrates of those districts where slaves are
landed, receive a certain per centage on them as a bribe
to secrecy. The high price which they bring in the market,
RIO DE JANEIEO. 17
is a veiy great temptation to incur the risk of importing
them. It is said that if only one cargo be saved out of
three, that one will cover the whole expences, and leave a
handsome profit besides.
Previous to my arrival in Brazil, I had bfeen led to
believe, from the reports that have been published in
England, that the condition of the slave in that country
was the most wretched that could be conceived ; and the
accounts which I heard when I landed — ^from individuals
whom I now find to have been little informed on the
point — ^tended to confirm that beUef. A few years resi-
dence in the country, during which I saw more than has
fallen to the lot of most Europeans, has led me to alter
very materially those early impressions. I am no advo-
cate for the continuance of slavery ; on the contrary, I
should rejoice to see it swept from off the face of the
earth — ^but I will never listen to those who represent the
Brazilian slave-holder to be a cruel monster. My expe-
rience among them has been very great, and but very
few wanton acts of cruelty have come under my own ob-
servation. The very temperament of the Brazilian is
adverse to its general occurrence. They are of a slow and
indolent habit, which causes much to be overlooked in a
slave, that, by people of a more active and ardent dispo-
sition, would be severely punished. Europeans, who have
this lattejf'peculiarity more strongly inherent in them, are
known to' be idiot only the hardest of taskmasters, but the
most severe punishers of the faults of their slaves.
In Brazil, as in all other countries, there is more crime
in large -crwns than in the agricultural districts. This
arises from f fee greater facilities which exist in the former
18 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
for obtaining ardent spirits ; yet, among the black popu-
lation, intoxication is not often observed, even dense as
it is in Rio de Janeiro. It was on a Sunday morning
that I arrived in Liverpool from Brazil, and during the
course of that day I saw in the streets a greater number
of cases of intoxication, than, I believe, I observed alto-
gether among Brazilians, whether black or white, during
the whole period of my residence in the country. In the
large towns the necessity for punishment is of frequent
occurrence. The master has it in his own power to chas-
tise his slaves at his own discretion. Some, however,
prefer sending the culprit to the Calabouja, where, on
the payment of a small sum, punishment is given by the
police. Many of the crimes for which only a few lashes
are awarded, are of such a nature that in England would
bring upon the perpetrator either death or transportation.
It is only for very serious crimes that a slave is given up
entirely to the public tribunals, as then his services are
lost to the owner, either altogether, or at least for a long
period.
On most of the plantations the slaves are well attended
to, and appear to be very happy. Indeed, it is a charac-
teristic of the negro, resulting no doubt from his careless
disposition, that he very soon gets reconciled to his con-
dition. I have conversed with slaves in all parts of the
country, and have met with but very few who expressed
any regret at having been taken from their own country,
or a desire to return to it. On some of the large estates
at which I have resided for short periods, the number of
slaves often amounted to three or four hundred, and but
for my previous knowledge of their being such, I could
RID DE JANEIRO. 19
never have found out from my own observations that
they were slaves. I saw a set of contented and well-
conditioned labourers turning out from their little huts,
often surrounded by a small garden, and proceeding to
their respective daily occupations, from which they re-
turned in the evening, but not broken and bent down
with the severity of their tasks. The condition of the
domestic slave is, perhaps, even better than that of the
others ; his labour is but light, and he is certamly better
fed and clothed. I have almost universally found the
Brazilian ladies kind both to their male and female do-
mestic slaves; this is particularly the case when the
latter have acted as nurses. On estates, where there has
been no medical attendant, I have often found the lady
of the proprietor attending to the sick in the hospital
herself.
Slaves, however, are variously inclined ; from the very
nature of a negro — ^his well-ascertained deficient intellec- *
tual capadty — ^the want of all education — ^the knowledge
of his position in society, and the almost certainty of his
never being able to raise himself above it — ^we need not
wonder that there should be among them some who are
resdess, impatient of all control, and addicted to every
vice. It is the frequent necessity which arises for the
punishment of the evil-disposed that has led to the sup-
position of the indiscriminate and universal use of the lash.
K the intellectual capacity of the negro be contrasted with
the native Indian, it will not be difficult, on most points,
to decide in favour of the latter. It is no small proof of
the deficient mental endowment of the negro, that, even
in remote parts of the empire, three or four white men
c 2
20 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
can keep as maiiy as two or three hundred of them in
the most perfect state of submission. With the Indian
this could never be accomplished, for they too oncie were
allowed to be held as slaves, and even still are, on the
northern and western frontier, although contrary to law.
Th^ Indian has the animal propensities less folly deve-
loped than the negro ; hence he is more gentle in his
disposition, but, at the same time, is much more impa-
tient of restraint.
The character and capacity of the negro vary very much
in the diflferent nations. Those from the northern parts
of Africa are by far the finest races. The slaves of Bahia
are more difficult to manage than those of any other part
of Brazil, and more frequent attempts at revolt have taken
place there than elsewhere. The cause of this is obvious.
Nearly the whole of the slave population of that place is
from the Gold coast. Both the men and the women are
not only taller and more handsomely formed than those
from Mozambique, Benguela, and the other parts of
Africa, but have a much greater share of mental energy,
arising, perhaps, from their near relationship to the Moor
and the Arab. Among them there are many who both
read and write Arabic. They are more united among
themselves than the other nations, and hence are less
liable to have their secrets divulged when they aim at a
revolt.
To sum up these observations, I have had ample oppor-
tunity, since I left South America, for contrasting the
condition of the slave of that country, with that of the
Coolie in the Mauritius and in India, but more particularly
in Ceylon ; and were I asked to which I would give the
mo DE JANEIRO. 21
preference, I should certainly decide in favour of the
former, although, at the same time, I could not but ex-
claim with Sterne, " still, Slavery ! still thou art a bitter
draught!'*
A general rise of the black population is much dreaded
in Brazil, which is not unreasonable, when the great pro-
portion it bears to the white is taken into consideration.
Were they all united by one common sympathy, this
would have happened long ago, but the hostile prejudices
existing among the diflferent races of Africans, have
hitherto prevented it. In the northern and interior pro-
vinces, considerable encouragement to their insubordina-
tion has been offered, by the general feeling that animates
a large proportion of the free class, who are mostly of
mixed blood, and who desire to throw off the yoke of
monarchy and replace it by a republican form of govern-
ment, a feeling which I know to be general, not only among
the lower orders, but among the magistrates, priests, offi-
cers in the army, and owners of landed property, and
hence I believe the time is not far distant, when Brazil
will share the fate of the other South American states.
In such an event the white population will be sure to
suffer from the savage rapacity of the mixed races, espe-
cially those who have African blood in them : for it is to
be remarked, that the worst of criminals spring from this
class, who inherit in some degree the superior intellect of
the white, while they retain much of the cunning and
ferocity of the black ; they are mostly free, and bear no
good will towards the whites, who form the smaller part
of the entire population. It should be observed, how-
ever, that in the class of wealthier landed proprietors and
22 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Gomm^cial meiii who have received the benefits of a more
liberal education, especially those nearer the capital, and
thosei)elonging to the provinces along the coast, this tide
of pubUc opinion, that at one time nearly threatened the
ruin of the empire, has been in a great measure arrested,
and many of those who formerly advocated republican
principles, are now the staunchest supporters of the con-
stitutional monarchy, convinced of its being the strongest
guarantee they can have for the security of their lives and
property, and the development of the industry and re-
sources of the empire.
In Brazil the mixed races receive different names from
those in the Spanish territories. The of&pring of Euro-
peans and negroes are called Mulattos ; those of Europeans
and native Indians, Mamelucos ; those of the negro and
Indian, CaAoclos\ while those which sprmg from the
mulatto and negro are called Cadras; the term Creole is
applied to the offspring of the negroes.
I considered myself fortunate, shortly after my arrival
at Bio, to make the acquamtance, and gain the friendship,
of a family that had ab*eady travelled in distant parts of
South America. It is only he who, day after day,- is pur-
suing his solitary rambles through the dark forests, in
the shady glens, on the mountain summits, or by the surf-
beaten shores of such a country as Brazil, where all is
new, and all is strange, who can fully estimate the privi-
lege of being received with welcome into a family whose
leisure hours are devoted to pursuits similar to his own.
Many of my excursions in the vicinity of Bio, were un-
dertaken in company with these friends ; and to their
local knowledge of the country I owe some of my finest
RIO D£ JANEIRO. 23
botanical acquisitions. To them, as well as to most of
the English residents at Bio, I am indebted for many
attentions during the different periods of my residence in
that neighbourhood.
In order to present some general idea of the splendid
scenery of the country, and the leading features of this
part of Brazil, I will give an account of some of these
excursions. There is a path by the side of the great
aqueduct, which has always been the favourite resort of
naturalists who have visited Bio ; and there is certainly
no walk near the city so fruitful either in insects or plants.
The following notes were made on the return from my
first visit along the whole length of the aqueduct. After
reaching the head of the Laranjeiras valley, which is
about two miles in extent, the ascent becomes rather steep.
At this time it was about nine, a.m., and the rays of the
sun, proceeding from a cloudless sky, were very powerful ;
but a short distance brought us within the cool shade of
the dense forest which skirts the sides of the Corcovado,
and through which our path lay. In the valley we saw some
very large trees of a thorny-stemmed Bombaw, but they
were then destitute both of leaves and flowers, nearly all
the trees of this tribe being deciduous. There we also
passed under the shade of a very large soUtary tree which
overhangs the road, and is well known by the name of
the Pao Grande. It is the Jequetibd of the Brazilians,
and the Couratari leyaUs of Martins. Considerably further
up, and on the banks of a small stream that descends
from the mountain, we found several curious Dorstenias,
and many delicate species of Ferns. We also added here
to our collections fine specimens of the Tree-fern {Tri-
24 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
chopteris ecsceha)^ which was the first of the kind I had
yet seen. The forests here exhibited all the characteristics
of tropical vegetation. The rich black soil, which has
been forming for centuries in the broad ravines from the
decay of leaves, &c., is covered with herbaceous ferns,
Dorstenias, Heliconias, Begonias, and other plants which
love shade and humidity ; while above these rise the tall
and graceful tree-ferns, and the noble Palms, the large
leaves of which tremble in the slightest breeze. But it is
the gigantic forest trees themselves which produce the
strongest impression on the mind of a stranger. How
I felt the truth of the observation of Humboldt, that,
when a traveller newly arrived from Europe penetrates for
the first time into the forests of South America, nature
presents itself to him under such an unexpected aspect,
that he can scarcely distinguish what most excites his ad*
miration, the deep silence of those solitudes, the individual
beauty and contrast of forms, or that vigoin: and freshness
of vegetable life which characterize the climate of the tro-
pics.* What first claims attention is the great size of the
trees, their thickness, and the height to which they rear
their unbranched steins. Then, in place of the few mosses
and Uchens which cover the trunks and boughs of the
forest trees of temperate climes, here they are bearded
from the roots to the very extremities of the smallest
branches, with Ferns, Aroidea, TUlandsias, Cact% Orchi-
de(By GesTieruB, and other epiphytous plants. Besides
these, many of the large trunks are encircled with the
twining stems of Bignonias, and shrubs of similar habit,
the branches of which frequently became thick, and com-
* Personal nan^ativc. 3. p. 36.
EIO D£ JANEIRO. 25
press the tree so much, that it perishes in the too close
embrace. Those climbers, again, which merely ascend the
trunk, supporting themselves by their numerous small
roots, often become detached after reaching the boughs,
and, where many pf them exist, the stem presents the
aspect of a large mast supported by its stays. These
rope-like twiners and creeping plants, passing from tree to
tree, descending from the branches to the ground, and
ascending again to other boughs, intermingle themselves
in a thousand ways, and render a passage through such
parts of the forest both difficult and annoying.
Having reached, by mid-day, the level on which the
water of the aqueduct is brought from its source, we con-
tinued our walk along it for upwards of two miles. Our
progress, however, was slow, from the number of new ob-
jects continually claiming our attention. In damp shady
spots by the side of the aqueduct we found the common
water cress, {Nasturtium officinale) of Europe, whick is one
of the few plants that is truly cosmopolite ; and on the
rocks grew some little European mosses, which, being
old acquaintances, recalled pleasing thoughts of home.
Numerous ferns, and many strange-leaved Begonias grew
along the side of the little stream. While collecting
specimens of a moss, I had a providential escape from
a poisonous snake ; I caught it in my hand along with a
handful of the moss, which was soon dropped when I per-
ceived what accompanied it. Venomous snakes are not
uncommon in the province of Rio de Janeiro ; but acci-
dents do not so often result from them as might be sup-
posed.
About seven o'clock, P.M., we regained the spot where
26 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
we had left the servants, the horses, and the materials for
our dinner ; and by the time we had partaken of this
repast, darkness had already set in. As the road is by no
means of easy descent, even by day, we should not have
thought of remaining so long, had we not been certain of
moonlight. During the half hour we delayed for the
rising of the moon, we listened to the sounds produced
by the various animals which are in a state of activity at
this hour of the evening. Pre-eminent above all the
others, is that emitted by the blacksmith frog; every
sound which he produces rmging in the ears like the dang
of a hammer upon an anvil, while the tones uttered by
his congeners strikingly resemble the lowing of cattle at a
distance. Besides these, the hooting of an owl, the shrill
song of the Cicada, and the chirping of grasshoppers,
formed a continued concert of inharmonious tones ; while
the air was lighted up by the fitful flashes of numerous
fireflies.
When the moon rose we continued our journey, but
the lowering clouds, together with the dark shade of the
overhanging trees, prevented our deriving much advan-
tage fix>m its light. When we emerged from the forest
and gained a glimpse of the horizon, everything betokened
an approaching storm. Towards the north lay a mass of
the darkest clouds, whence streamed, from time to time,
sheets of the most brilliant lightning. This continued till
we reached home, shortly aft^ ten o'clock, and we were
scarcely seated when the storm broke forth in all its fury,
accompanied with a deluge of rain.
From various parts of the watercourse fine views of
the low country are obtained. The finest, perhaps, is that
RIO D£ JANEIRO. 27
which discloses the Lake of Rodrigo Freitas. We looked^
as it were, through a large portal; on the left is the
Corcovado covered with a dense forest of various tinted
fohage, and on the right, th^ nearly perpendicular face of
another mountain, covered with a few Cacti and other
succulent plants, but richly wooded towards the summit.
From this point there runs a long wide valley, at the
bottom of which Hes the Botanic Garden, and still forther
on, the lake. On the flat grounds by the shores of the
lake are a number of cottages, surrounded by cultivated
fields. Immediately beyond these the sea-shore, with its
broad belt of white sand on which a heavy suif is always
breaking. All beyond, with the exception of a small
island or two to the left, is the great Southern Atlantic
Ocean, bounded by the blue sky. In the course of our
walk we often sat down to rest ourselves, and to enjoy,
in the silence and repose which surrounded us, the
romantic prospects which were constantly presenting
thmiselves.
The Corcovado mountain offers a rich field to the Bo-
tanist. I frequentiy visited the lower portions, but only
once ascended to the summit. The ascent is fix>m the
N. W. side, and although rather steep in some places,
may be ridden on horseback all the way up. Some of
the trees on the lower parts of it are very large. The
thick underwood consists of Palm», MelaatomaceiBy Myr^
iacem^ Tree-ferns^ Crotons, 8fc.; and beneath these are
many delicate herbaceous ferns, Dorstenias, Heliconiaa,
and, in the more open places, a few large grasses. To-
wards the summit the trees are of much smaller growth,
and shrubs belonging to the genus Croton are abundant.
28 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
as well as a small kind of bamboo. The summit itself
is a large mass of very coarse-grained granite. In the
clefts of the rocks grow a few small kinds of Qrchideous
plants, and a beautifal tubCrous-rooted scarlet-flowered
Gesneria. From this point a magnificent panoramic view
of the bay, the city, and the surrounding country is ob-
tained. The temperature at this elevation is so much
reduced, that it is not difficult to fancy one's self suddenly
transported to a higher latitude. A strong breeze was
blowing, and just before leaving, the top of the mountain
became enveloped in one of those dark clouds which so
frequently hang over it towards the beginning of the
rainy season.
Another interesting journey made during my stay at
Rio, was to the Tijuca mountains, whither I was accom-
panied by a friend, and where we remained ten days.
Instead of the direct road from Rio, we preferred the
worst and more circuitous one which leads along the
shore. Near the sea, and about fifteen miles distant from
the city, rises the Gavea, or Topsail Mountain, so called
from its square shape, and weU known to English sailors
by the name of Lord Hood's Nose. It has a flat top,
and rises about two thousand feet above the level of the
sea, to which it presents a nearly perpendicular precipitous
face. We remained a night at the house of a Frenchman,
who possesses a small cofiee estate. The cofiee is planted
on the rocky sloping ground which Ues between the base
of the mountain and the sea. The situation is cool, and
possesses a moist climate. Among the loose rocks at the
foot of the mountain we made a fine collection of beau-
tiful land-shells, and on the rocks by the sea shore, we
RIO D£ JANEIRO. 29
found the beautiful Gloxinia speciosa, which is now so
common in the hot-houses of England, growing in the
greatest profusion, and covered with flowers. Along with
it grows a kind of wild Parsley, and, twining among the
bushes, a new kind of Indian cress {Tropaolum orthoceras,
Gardn.). On the face of the mountain, at an elevation
of several hundred feet, we observed some large patches
of one of those beautifol large-flowered Orchideous plants
which are so common in Brazil. Its large rose-coloured
flowers were very conspicuous, but we could not reach
them. A few days afterwards we found it on a neigh-
bouring mountain, and ascertained it to be Cattleya lahi"
ata. Those on the Gavea will long continue to vegetate,
far fix>m the reach of the greedy collector.
The road, after ¥dndiDg round the Gavea, terminates
at a small salt-water lake, which passengers, who foUow
this route, are obliged to cross, or rather to pass from one
end to the other, in consequence of the flank of a high
hill which nms into it, and prevents a passage along its
margin. We passed the lake in a rotten leaky canoe,
and saw on the face of the steep rocks many curious plants
which we could not reach. The path which led to the
house where we were to take up our quarters, lay for
about two miles through a flat meadow-land, partly in its
original state, and partly planted with Indian com, Man-
diocca, and Bananas. We passed many small habitations
belonging to poor people of colour, mostly fishermen.
Before reaching the foot of the mountain over which the
road leads to Tijuca, we passed a migrating body of small
black ants. The immense number of individuals comprising
it may be imagined from the fact, that the column was
80 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
more than six feet broad, and extended in length to
upwards of thirty yards. The ground was completely
covered with the little creatures, so closely were they
packed together. The natural history of ants has as yet
been but little studied, particularly with regard to the
enumeration of species. They are more numerous than
naturalists are aware of. In those parts within the tropics
where humidity prevails, they are neither so varied in
species, nor so abundant in individuals, as in the drier
districts. While residing at Pemambuco, I remember
taking notice of all the species I met with in the course of
a single day, and they amounted to about twenty-five.
Before ascending the hill we visited the falls of Tijuca,
which are only at a short distance from the road. The
crystal water of a large rivulet falls over two successive
gently inclined masses of rock, upwards of one hundred
feet high. It rather glides in a broad broken sheet than
falls, and is received in a large pool below. This cascade
reminded me of those which are so often to be met with
in the wooded glens of Scotland. By dusk, after gra-
dually ascending the mountains, we reached the house;
it is situated in an old coffee plantation, belonging to a
Brazilian nobleman, but it was then rented by a party of
young English merchants in Bio, who used it as a holiday
resort, and, by the kindness of one of them, we were
allowed to remain at it for a few days.
Early on the following morning we made an excursion
to a mountain called the Pedra Bonita, immediately oppo-
site the Gavea. In our way thither we visited the coffee
plantations of Mrs. Moke, and Mr. Lescene. They adjoin
each other, and were then considered the best managed
RIO DE JANEIRO. 31
near Eio. The great coffee coimtEy is much further in^
land, ou the banks of the Bio Farahiba. The trees are
planted from six to eight feet apart Those plants which
have been taken from the nurseiy with balls of mould
round their root are found to bear fruit in about two years,
whereas those which have been detached from the earth
do not produce till the third year, and a greater propor*
tion of the plants die. They are planted when about a
foot high, on the slopes of the hills, in the alluvial soil
from whence the virgin forest has been cleared. They
are only allowed to grow to the height of from ten to
twelve feet, so that the crop may lie within reach. Till
the trees are in full bearing, one negro can take charge
of, and keep dean, two thousand plants ; but afterwards
only half that number is allotted him. Large healthy
coffee trees have been found to produce as much as from
eight to twelve pounds of coffee ; the average produce,
however, varies from a pound and a half to three pounds.
When the berry is ripe, it is about the size and colour of
a cherry ; and of these berries a negro can collect about
thirty-two pounds daily. In the course of the year there
are three gatherings, but the greater part of the crop
ripens during the dry season. The berries are spread
out to dry in the sun, on lai^ slightly convex floors ;
the dry shell is afterwards removed, either by mills, or
by a series of large wooden mortars. It is only in some
few estates in Brazil that the pulper is seen, which is so
commonly used in the West Indies and Ceylon, for taking
off the pulp from the fresh berries. Nothing is more
beautiful than a coffee plantation in fiill bloom; the
larees come into flower at the same time, but the blossoms
32 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
do not last more than twenty-four hours. Seen from a
distance the plantation seems covered with snow ; and the
flowers have a most delightful firagrance.
By the side of a stream which flows through the valley
where these plantations are, we noticed a nettle-like tree,
with a stem eight inches in diameter, and nearly twenty
feet high, which proved to be a new species of Baehmeria
(B. arborescensy Gardn.). For a considerable way our
ascending path was bordered with bitter orange trees,
the shade afforded by which was no less acceptable than
their fruit was grateful ; for the juice though a Uttle bitter
is not disagreably so. Both here, and in many other
parts about Rio, this bitter kind of orange grows appa-
rently wild ; it is called the wild orange by the Brazilians
{Zaranja da Terra), but it is certainly not indigenous.
Thence, we came to a tract where the origmal forest
having been felled, was replaced by a thick wood of young
trees, consisting chiefly of arborescent Solatmim, Crotons^
Femonias, 8fe,, while great numbers of Cecropia peltata
and palmatay reared their heads above the rest, conspi-
cuous at a great distance from their white bark, their
branches growing at right angles to the trunk, and their
large lobed leaves, the snowy under-surface of which,
when agitated by the wind, gives the tree the appearance
of being covered with large white blossoms.
Near the summit of the Pedra Bonita, there is a small
Fazenda, or farm, the proprietor of which was then
clearing away the forest which covers it, and converting
the larger trees into charcoal. From the massive trunks
of some of them which had just been felled, we ob-
tained some very pretty Orchideous plants. Several of the
RIO D£ aANEIEO. 33
larger deiiizens of the forest, and found to belong to the
natural orders Melastomacea, Myrtacea^ Cmnposita, and
Legum%nm€B. The ascent of the Pedra Bonita is made
from the north side. Immediately on emerging from the
forest, and attaining the simimit, a most magnificent view
of the surrounding country presented itself. It was then
nearly sun-set, so we had but Uttle time for botanizing.
We only saw enough to convince us that the vegetation
of the top of this mountain had a very different character
from those of any others we had visited near Rio ; resem-
bling more, as I have since ascertained, that of the moun-
tains of the interior. A few days afterwards we made
another journey to it, but on this occasion the whole
mountain was enveloped in clouds, the minute globules
of which they were composed being distinctly visible, as
they swept past under the influence of a strong breeze
which was blowing from the north. A great part of the
top we found to be covered with the beautiful lily-like
Vellozia Candida^ on the branches of which grew a pretty
Epidendruniy vnth rose-coloured flowers. Along with
the Vellozia grew two beautiful subscandent species of
Echites* one with large dark violet-coloured flowers, the
other v^dth white ones of a similar size. They both ex-
hale an odour not unUke that of the common primrose,
but more powerful. On the edge of a precipice on the
eastern side, we found, covered with its large rose-coloured
flowers, the splendid Cattleya labiatay which a few days
before we had seen on the Gavea.
The following year, in my return from the Organ Moun-
tains, I again visited this spot, and found that a great
* Echites atraviolacea, Stadelm., and JE, cramnoda, Gardn.
D
34 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
change had taken place. The forest, which fonnerly
covered a considerable portion of the summit, was now
cut down and converted into charcoal; and the small
shrubs and VeUoziaa which grew in the exposed portion,
had been destroyed by fire. The progress of cultivation
is proceeding so rapidly for twenty miles around Bio, that
many of the species which still exist, will in the course of
a few years, be completely annihilated, and the botanists
of future times who visit the country, wfll look in vain
for the plants collected by their predecessors.
Other excursions to the islands in the bay, and to
Jurujuba, on the opposite side of it, were also productive
of many interesting species of plants. It was at the
latter place, on dry bushy hills, that I first saw the really
beautiful Buginvillea spedabilia growing wild. It climbs
up into the tops of the bushes and trees near which it
grows, and the brilliant colour of the flowers, which it
produces in the greatest profusion, renders it conspicuous
in the woods at a great distance. This, as well as the
equally beautiful Bignonia ventista, are much cultivated
as ornamental climbers in the suburbs.
Before leaving Rio I visited the Botanic Garden, and
the Museum of Natural History. The former, as has
already been observed, is situated at the foot of a valley
near the sea, about eight miles to the south-west of the
city. It is more a pubUc promenade than a Botanic
Garden, for, with the exception of a few East Indian
trees and shrubs, and a few herbaceous European plants,
there is but Uttle to entitle it to that name. Of the
immense number of beautiful plants indigenous to the
country, I saw but few. The European botanist is.
RIO DE JANEIRO. 35
however, well recompensed for his visit, by the sight of
some large Bread-firuit-trees and the Jack, with its much
smaller entire leaves, and monstrous fruit pendant from
the stem and large branches. There are also some fine
Cinnamon and Clove trees. Near the centre of the garden
several clusters of Bamboos, with stems upwards of fifty
feet in height, give it a marked tropical character. The
avenue which leads up from the entrance, is planted on
each side with the pine-like Casuarina. It is on a piece
of ground, about an acre in extent, on the left hand side
of this avenue, that the Tea plants grow which were im-
ported from China by the grandfather of the present
Emperor. It was thought that the cUmate and soil of
Brazil would be suitable for its cultivation, but the success
of the experiment has not equalled the expectations which
were formed of it, notwithstanding that the growth of the
plants, and the preparation of the leaves, were managed
by natives of China accustomed to such occupations. In
the province of San Paulo a few large plantations of Tea
have been established; that belonging to the ex-regent
Feijo, containing upwards of 20,000 trees. The pro-
duce is sold in the shops at Rio, and in appearance is
scarcely to be distinguished from that of Chinese manu-
facture, but the flavour is inferior, having more of an
herby taste. It is sold at about the same price, but it is
now ascertained that it cannot be produced, so as to give
a sufficient recompense to the grower, the price of labour
being much greater in Brazil than in China. To remu-
nerate, it is said that Brazil Tea ought to bring five
shillings per pound.
The National Museum of Natural History was founded
D 2
36 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
by Don John the sixth. It gives but a poor idea of the
vast stores of animated nature which exist in the country.
Like many other Museums, more attention has been
given to the cases than to their contents. The collection
is contained in a building of moderate size, in the Cam-
po de Santa Anna There are some eight apartments
which visitors are allowed to enter, one of these is devoted
to the dresses, ornaments, arms, &c., of the aborigines of
Brazil; another contains a number of cases of stuffed
birds, foreign as weU as indigenous, badly prepared, and
but few of them named ; another has a few mummy
cases ranged along one side of it, from one of which the
body has been taken, and placed in a glass case; the
bindings have been unrolled from the head and feet, and
both these parts are fully exposed. There are also in this
room a very limited collection of coins and medals, and a
few paintings, one of which is a full-length portrait of the
founder. Another apartment contains a few cases of
quadrupeds, chiefly monkeys. Two rooms are allotted to
a collection of minerals, which is the most extensive as
well as the most interesting portion of the contents of the
institution; the specimens are mostly European. The
Museum is thrown open to the pubUc every Thursday,
from ten till four o'clock, and appears to be well fre-
quented.
CHAPTER II.
JOUENET TO AND RESroENCE IN THE ORGAN
MOUNTAINS.
Principal Summer Resort of the Englisli Residents — ^Jonrney firom
Fiedade to Mage and Frechal — ^Ascent of the Mountains — ^Descrip-
tion of Virgin Forests — Mr. March's Plantation in the Serra — ^Treat-
ment of his Slaves — Case of One bitten by a venomous Snake — ^Ldmb
amputated by the Author — ^Mode of Treatment in such Cases among
the Natives — Charms — ^Tapir-Hunting in the Mountains — ^Beasts,
Birds, and Reptiles found there — Visit to a Brasilian Fazendeiro —
To Constantia — ^Ascent of the loftiest Peaks — ^Vegetable Productions
in those elevated regions — ^Pleasant Sojourn on the Estate.
The collections which had accumulated during the period
of my residence in the vidnity of Rio de Janeiro, having
been put into a proper state and sent to England, I made
arrangements for visiting the Organ Mountains. The
peaks which receive this appellation form part of a moun-
tain range, situated about sixty miles to the north of Bio,
which, branching out in various directions, stretches firom
about Bahia, in lat.l2° S., to S. Catharina, in lat. 29° S.
The name (Serra dos Orgaos) bestowed on them by the
Portuguese, originated in a fancied resemblance which the
peaks, rising gradually one above the other, bear to the
pipes of an organ. About ten years before my visit a
Sanatorium, or health station, had been established on
this range, at about 3,000 feet above the level of the sea.
38 TRAVELS IN BEAZIL.
in a beautiful valley beWnd the higher peaks. A large
tract of country there belongs to Mr. March, an Enghsh
gentleman, on which he has a farm for the breeding of
horses and mules, and a large garden, from which the
Rio market is regularly suppUed with European vegetables.
On this property a number of cottages have been erected,
which are resorted to by the families of the EngUsh resi-
dents at Bio during the hot months. He also receives
boarders into his own house, and it rarely happens that
the place is without visitors. About one third of the
journey has to be performed by water, the other is ac-
complished on mules, which are sent down from Mr.
March's farm (Fazenda).
As Mr. March happened to be in Rio at the time I
purposed visiting the mountains, we started together, on
the 24th of December, along with two or three Enghsh
merchants, who were going up to spend the Christmas
hoUdays with their families. It was mid-day before we
could leave the city, and, under the influence of a strong
sea-breeze, we reached Piedade, the landing place, at half
past three o'clock, the distance being about twenty miles.
The boat in which we embarked belongs to a class which
is very conunon in the harbour, and much employed in
conveying goods to the head of the bay, and produce
from the interior, from thence to Rio. They are also
much made use of by pleasure parties fi^uenting the
islands and opposite shores of the bay. They are called
Faluas, and are manned by six rowers, and a steersman
who is called the Patrao. The latter is very frequently
the owner, and most of them are natives of Portugal.
They have two masts, each of which carries a large sail ;
THS ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 39
the stem part is covered over and enclosed with curtains.
The negroes who man these boats are generally strong
muscular men. Seated on one thwart, they place their
feet against another, and rise up at each stroke of the
oar, keeping time to a melancholy chant all the time they
are pulling. These boats can be hired for an entire day
at about eighteen shillings.
The day was a most delightful one, the sun shining out
brightly from a clear sky, and the air cooled by the fresh
sea-breeze. We passed close to the Hha do Govemador,
which is the largest island in the bay. It is about eight
miles in length, but narrow in proportion, and thinly
inhabited. Shortly before my arrival in the country, an
Englishman commenced a soap and candle manufactory
on it, both of which articles bring the same price in Rio
as those imported from Europe. The muddy shores of
this island, as well as those of the whole bay, abound
with crabs of all sizes, and every variety of colour, from
nearly black to a bright scarlet. On one occasion when
I visited the island, I observed within a very short space
about eight species. They are gregarious, and each kind
inhabits a distinct colony ; they burrow in the mud,
under the shade and Mnong the roots of the mangrove
and other shore-loving trees. It was here that I first
saw the apparent phenomenon of trees bearing crops of
oysters. These animals, when young, attach themselves
to the lower part of the trunks, and long pendulous roots,
of the mangrove and other trees, which grow in the sea
even to low-water mark. These oysters are small and
not well-flavoured. Others are found in the bay of enor-
mous size, some of their shells, which I collected as
40 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Specimens, measuring upwards of a foot in length. Near
the head of the bay. there are many little islands, some of
which are inhabited, and present the agreeable prospect
of cultivation, while others are little more than masses of
rock, among the clefts of which grow a few stunted
shrubs, and grotesque prickly pears.
At Piedade, mules from Mr. March's Fazenda were
waiting for us and our luggage, and, after a short stay
for the arrangement of the latter, we began the land part
of our journey. At Piedade, which only consists of a
few scattered houses, a large hotel was being erected by
Col. Leite, a Brazilian gentleman, who, at his own ex-
pense, was then making a new road across the Organ
Mountains, to join the one which leads to the mining
districts from Porto de Estrella, another landing place at
the head of the bay. The latter place has hitherto been
the common harbour between Eio and the interior. The
Colonel, however, expects that his new road will ultimately
be preferred, as it is much shorter. Four years after, when
I again visited this part of the country, I found that this
new road was still in an imfinished state. To save the
expense of an engineer he had traced the road himself,
and the consequence was, that it afterwards required
many alterations. The road from Piedade to Mage, a
small town about four miles distant, leads through a flat,
sandy, and, in several places, marshy plain, covered with
low trees and beautiful flowering shrubs. The hedges
were covered with numerous climbers, one of them a
small sweet-flowered kind of Jasmine, the only one which
has hitherto been found in a wild state on the continent
of America, In moist places, IHchorizcmdra thyrsiflara,
THE OEOAN MOUNTAINS. 41
with its spikes of azure blossoms, wa^ not oncommon,
while the sandy fields were covered with a large kind of
Cactus, among which many plants of the aloe-like Four-
CToya gigantea were to be seen throwing up their flow-
ering stems to a height dL thirty and forty feet.
The town of Mage is rather prettily situated on the
banks of the Mage-assu, one of the many smaH rivers
which take their rise in the Organ Mountains, and fall
into the head of Ihe bay. It contains a neat church, and
a number of well-furnished shops. The river is navigable,
for craft of a small size, about eight miles from its mouth.
A considerable quantity of Farinha de Mandiocca (Cas-
sava) is exported from this place to Rio. Its low situation,
and the surrounding swamps, render it unhealthy at par-
ticular seasons ; intermittent fevers are here common, and
they frequently terminate iu others of a more malignant
nature. From Mage to Frechal, the place where we
slept for the night, the distance is about fourteen miles.
The road stiH continued flat, but wound round many low
hills, the sides of which are covered with plantations of
Mandiocca. We met several troops of mules coming
down from the interior, loaded with produce. Unaccus-
tomed to such a mode of transport, the European looks
with astonishment at the great number of animals which
are here required to carry what, in his own country,
would scarcely form a load for one. Loaded mules start
daily from Rio, Piedade, and Porto d'Estrella, to make
journeys into the interior of from five hundred to two
thousand miles and upwards. They seldom travel above
twelve or sixteen miles a day, and the load allowed
to each varies from six to eight arrobas of thirty-two
42 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
pounds each. The loads are protected fipom the Weather
by dried ox-hides, which are strapped lightly over them.
Frechal is a small village, consisting of a few scattered
houses, and situated about two miles from the foot of the
mountains. The place at which we put up for the night
is a large kind of pubUc house (Venda), where there is an
open room for the accommodation of travellers ; around
this room a number of beds are arranged, which gives it
very much the appearance of a hospital ward. Here,
unlike most other places of the same kind between Rio
and the mining districts, a very comfortable meal may
always be obtained.
Next morning by break of day we again continued our
journey. At about two miles from Frechal the ascent of
the mountains begins. From thence to Mr. March's
Fazenda, which stands at an elevation of upwards of
8,000 feet above the level of the sea, is twelve miles.
During the whole way the road is very bad, and in many
places so steep, that it is with considerable difficulty the
mules make their way up it. Indeed, to one unused to
travel on such paths, which have more the appearance of
the bed of a mountain torrent than a road for beasts of
burden, many parts of it appear impassable ; but he is
soon undeceived by the slow yet sure manner in which
the mules pass along the worst portion of it, especially
if left entirely to themselves. The whole length of the
road is through one dense forest, the magnificence of
which cannot be imagined by those who have never seen
it, nor penetrated into its recesses. Those remnants of
the virgin forest which still stand in the vicinity of the
capital, although they appear grand to the eye of a newly-
THS OKGAN MOUNTAINS. 43
arrived European, become insignificant when compared
with the mass of giant vegetation which clothes the sides
of the Organ Mountams. So far as I have been able to
determine, the large forest trees consist of various species
of PalmSy LauruBj Ficus, Coma, JBiffnonia, Solanum,
Myrtaceay and Melastomacea. In temperate climates
natural forests are mostly composed of trees which grow
gregariously. In those of tropical countries it is seldom
that two trees of a kind are to be seen growing together,
the variety of different species is so great. Many of the
trees are of immense size, and have their trunks and
branches covered with myriads of those plants which are
usuaUy called parasites, but are not so in reality, con-
sisting of Orchide(Sj BromeliacetBy Ferns, FeperomuBy &c.,
which derive their nourishment from the moisture of their
bark, and the earthy matter which has been formed from
the decay of mosses, &c. Many of the trees have their
trunks encircled by twiners, the stems of which are often
thicker than those they surround. This is particularly
the case with a kind of wild fig, called by the Brazilians,
Cipo Matador. It runs up the tree to which it has
attached itself, and at the distance of about every ten
feet throws out from each side a thick clasper, which
curves round, and closely entwines the other stem. As
both the trees increase in size, the pressure ultimately
becomes so great, that the supporting one dies from the
embrace of the parasite.
There is another kind of wild fig-tree, with an enormous
height and thickness of stem, to which the English resi-
dents give the name of Buttress-tree, from several large
thin plates which stand out from the bottom of the trunk.
44 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
They begin to jut out from the stem at the height of ten
or twelve feet from the bottom, and gradually increase in
breadth till they reach the ground, where they are connected
with the large roots of the tree. At the surface of the
ground these plates are often five feet broad, and through-
out not more than a few inches thick. The various species
of Lav/rm form fine trees ; they flower in the months
of April and May, at which season the atmosphere is
loaded with the rich perfume of their small white blos-
soms. When their fruit is ripe, it forms the principal
food of the Jacutinga {Penehpe Jacutinga, Spix), a fine
large game bird. The large Coma have a striking
appearance when in flower; and, as an almost equal
number of large trees of Lasiandra Fontanesiana, and
others of the Melaatoma tribe, are in bloom at the same
time, the forests are then almost one mass of yellow and
purple from the abundance of these flowers. Rising
amid these, the pink-coloured flowers of the Chorma
apeciosa — a kind of silk cotton-tree — can be easily dis-
tinguished. It is also a large tree, with a stem, covered
with strong prickles, from five to eight feet in circum-
ference, unbranched to the height of thirty or forty feet.
The branches then form a nearly hemispherical top, which,
when covered with its thousands of beautiful large rose-
coloured blossoms, has a striking efiect when contrasted
with the masses of green, yellow, and purple of the sur-
rounding trees.
Many of these large trunks afford support to various
species of climbing and twining shrubs, belonging to the
natural orders Bignoniacea, Composita, Jpocynea, and
LegtmiinoB<B, the stems of which frequently assume a very
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 45
remarkable appearance. Several of them are often twisted
together and dangle from the branches of the trees, like
large ropes, while others are flat and compressed, like
belts : of the latter description I have met with some six
inches broad, and not more than an inch thick. Two of
the finest climbers are the beautiful large trumpet-flowered
Solandra grandiflora, which, diffusing itself among the
largest trees of the forest, gives them a magnificence not
their own ; and a showy species of Fuchsia (JP. integri-^
foliay Cambess.)*, which is very common, attaching itself
to all kinds of trees, often reaching to the height of from
sixty to one hundred feet, and then falling down in the
most beautiful festoons.
At the foot of the mountains the underwood principally
consists of shrubs belonging to the natural orders Melas-
tomaceaj Myrtacea^ Composita^ SolanacecBj and Budiacea,
among which are many large species of herbaceous ferns,
and a few palms. About the middle, palms and tree-
ferns abound, some of the latter reaching to a height of
not less than forty feet. These trees are so unlike every
other denizen of the forest, so strange in appearance, yet
so graceful, that they have always attracted my attention
more than any other, not even excepting the palms. At
an elevation of about 2,000 feet, a large species of bamboo
{Barnbusa Tagoara, Mart.), makes its appearance. The
stems of this gigantic grass are often eighteen inches in
circumference, and attain a height of from fifty to one
hundred feet. They do not, however, grow perfectly
upright, their tops forming a graceful curve downwards.
* This species I have ascertained to be identical with T, affinUy
Cambess.; F.pyrifolia, PresL; and F.radicans, Miers.
46 TRAVELS IN BEAZIL.
Throughout the whole distance, the path was Uned on
each side with the most beautiful herbaceous plants, and
delicate ferns.
We reached Mr. March's Fazenda early in the fore-
noon. His estate embraces an extent of country con-
taining sixty-four square miles. The greater part of it is
still covered by virgin forests ; that which is cleared, con-
sists of pasture land, and several small farms for the
cultivation of Indian com, French beans, and potatoes.
Plentiful crops are yielded of the two former, but the
produce of the latter is neither so- abundant nor so good
as in England. He has also near his house a large garden,
under the management of a French gardener, in which
nearly all the European finiits and vegetables grow tole-
rably well. The peach, the olive, the fig, the vine, the
apple, the quince, the loquat, the pear, the orange, and
the banana, may be seen growing side by side, and all,
with the exception of the two latter, bearing abundance
of fruit. The orange and the banana also bear, but the
cold seldom allows the fruit to come to perfection. The
strawberry yields but little fruit, and the gooseberry none
at all. The apples are quite equal to any I have tasted
in England, but the peaches are very inferior ; bushels of
them are given to feed the pigs. The figs are delicious,
especially a variety which produces small green-coloured
fruit. Excellent crops of cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus,
artichokes, turnips, carrots, peas, onions, &c., are fi-eely
produced, and sent weekly to the city. The most fertile
part of the estate is a large valley, situated between the
higher chain of the Organ Mountains and a smaller range
which runs nearly parallel with it, and many of the
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 47
smaller vaDies^ which run up to the peaks themselves, are
cultivated; these are all well watered with small streams
of cool and limpid water.
At this elevation the climate is very much cooler than
it is at Rio, the thermometer in the months of May and
June sometimes falling as low as 32° just before day-
break. The lowest at which I observed it myself, was on
the 26th of May, when, at 8 o'clock, a.m., the mercury
indicated 39°. The highest to which it rose during the
six months I resided on the mountains, was on the 23rd
of February, when the mercury stood at 84° at noon. The
hot season is also the season of the rains, and violent
thunder storms occur almost daily, during the months of
January and February. They come on with great regu-
larity about four o'clock in the afternoon, and when they
pass over, leave a delightfully cool eveniug. like the
mountains near Bio, the whole of the Organ range con-
sists of granite. The alluvial soil is very deep and rich
in the vallies, and underneath it there exists the same
red-coloured argillaceo-ferrugineous clay which is so com-
mon at Bio.
It being Christmas-day on which we arrived, and a
great holiday, we found the whole of the slaves belonging
to the estate, amounting to about one hundred, dancing
in the yard before the house, and all attired in new suits
of clothes, which had been sent out to them the day be-
fore. In the evening, a party of the best conducted, prin-
cipally Creoles, were admitted into the verandah of the
house, where I had a good opportunity of witnessing their
dances — ^some of them not being veiy delicate. One of
the best was a kind of dramatic dance, of which the
48 TRAVEIiS IN BRAZIL.
following is a programme. Near the door of a house
belonging to a Padre (Priest), a yotmg fellow commences
dancing and playing on the viola, a kind of guitar. The
Padre hears the noise, and sends out one of his servants
to ascertain the cause. He finds the niusician dancing
to his own strains, and tells him that he is sent by his
master to enquire why he is thus disturbed. The musician
tells him that he is making no disturbance at all, but
only trying a new dance from Bahia, which he saw the
other day in the Diario. The servant asks if it is a good
one ; " Oh, very good," rephes the other, " will you not
try it?" The servant claps his hands, cries "Let the
Padre go sleep ! " and immediately joins in the dance.
The same thing is repeated till the Padre's servants, men,
women, and children, amounting to about twenty, are
dancing in a circle before the house. Last of all the
supposed Padre himself makes his appearance in a great
rage, dressed in a large Poncho for a gown, a broad-
brimmed black straw hat, and a mask with a long beard
to it. He demands the cause of the noise, which, he
says, prevents him from enjoying his dinner. The musi-
cian tells him the same story that was told to his servants,
and, after much persuasion, gets him to join in the dance
also. He dances with as much zeal as any of them, but,
watching his opportunity, he takes out a whip which he
has concealed under his gown, and, lashing the whole of
them out of the apartment, finishes the performance. A
stricter discipline is kept up among the slaves on this
estate, than on any other of the same size I have been
on in Brazil, but, at the same time, they are careftilly
and kindly attended to. There is a hospital for the
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 49
fflck, and Mr. Heath, the manager of the estate, has had
great experience in the treatment of those diseases to
which negroes are Uable.
Although there are not so many kinds of venomous
snakes in Brazil as is supposed even by the inhabitants,
yet accidents frequently occur from their bites to those
slaves who are engaged in the plantations. In the whole
course of my travels in Brazil, I did not meet with more
than half a dozen kinds which, from examination, were
found to have poison fangs. Some of these are, however,
very numerous in individuals, In the province of Rio,
and in the Bouthem provinces generally, the Jararaca,
{Bothrqps Neumedii, Spix.), a genus nearly allied to that
which the Rattle Snake belongs to, is perhaps the most
common. When fall grown it is usually about six feet
long. It is frequently met with in plantations, and in
bushy and grassy places by the sides of woods, but is
scarcely ever found in dense forests. That which is most
abundant in the central and northern provinces, is a true
Rattle Snake {Cascavel), but most probably a distinct
species from that of North America. On the day previous
to my arrival at Mr. March's, one of his female slaves,
about thirty-two years of age, and the mother of four
children, whilst weeding Indian com on a plantation
about eight miles distant from the house, was bitten on
the right hand, between the bones of the fore finger and
thumb, by a Jararaca. The accident took place about
eight o'clock in the morning, and immediately after she
left to return home, but only reached half way, when she
was obhged to lie down from excessive pain and exhaus-
tion. At this time she said the feeling of thirst was very
50 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
great. Some slaves belonging to the estate, happening
to be near, one of them rode off to infonn Mr. Heath.
When he arrived, he found the arm much swollen up to
the shoulder, beneath which he appUed a ligature. From
a cottage in the neighbourhood, he got a little hartshorn,
some of which he applied to the bite, and caused her to
swallow about a tea-spoonful in water. Being in a state
of high fever, he took about a pound of blood firom her,
after which she became faintish. She was then removed
to the Fazenda, and had two grains of calomel adminis-
tered to her, and about an hour after a large dose of
castor oil.
When I saw her on the following day, she still com-
plained of excruciating pain in the hand and arm, to
reUeve which a linseed meal poultice was apphed. The
pulse being 130, and full, about another pound of blood
was taken from the other arm. Next day a number of
little vesicles made their appearance on the back of the
hand and a little above the wrist, which, when opened,
discharged a watery fluid. For the next two days she
continued to suffer much pain, to relieve which poultices
were constantly applied. More vesicles formed, and the
cuticle began to peel off in the vicinity of the bite. On
the morning of the 29th, that is, on the fourth day after
the accident, when the poultice was removed, she com-
plained of no pain at all in her hand, and on careful
examination I found that gangrene had taken place, all
below the wrist being dead. From the state of the arm,
there was every appearance of the mortification extending.
On making an incision into the living portion above the
wrist, a considerable quantity of a very foetid whitish
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 51
watery fluid discharged itself; and, on pressing the arm
between the finger and thumb, a crepitation was felt from
the air which had generated beneath the integuments.
She was now very weak, the pulse 186, small and feeble,
and she appeared to be fast sinking. Amputation being the
only means that seemed to offer her a chance of recovery,
I decided at once to take off the arm. As the crepitation
extended to a few inches above the elbow, and the swel-
ling itself to the shoulder, I determined to take it off as
dose to the latter as possible. As there was no room
for the application of the tourniquet, I got Mr. Heath to
apply pressure with a padded key over the artery where
it passes under the clavicle, and Mr. March held the arm
while I performed the operation. A good deal of blood
was lost before I could secure the artery, which had to
be done before the bone was sawn through. In a fort-
night after, the stump had nearly healed up, and she was
walking about the room. Four years afterwards I again
saw her, and her general health had not suffered in the
least, but she had become extremely irritable and ill-
tempered.
Neither the natives nor the inhabitants have any remedy
for snake bites, in which they put implicit faith. This I
found out from their frequently applying to me for medi-
cine, after their own resources had been completely ex-
hausted. When an accident of this nature happens, the
patient, in the interior particularly, is generally put under
the charge of a class of people called Curadores, who
apply their remedies with many mysterious ceremonies.
The first operation of the Curador is to suck the wound,
which, if immediately had recourse to, I beheve to be the
£ 2
52 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
next best thing to excision or cauterization. The patient
is then put into a dark room, and care is taken that he
is not exposed to currents of air. One of the remedies
which they believe to be the most efficacious, is that which
is well known in Minas and the other inland provinces,
by the name of Black Root (Baiz Preto), and Snake Root
{Raiz de Cobra). It is the root of a common shrub, now
well known to botanists by the name of Chiococca anffui-
fuffa. It has a pungent disagreeable smell, not unlike
that of the common Valerian. Decoctions of this are
given to drink, and poultices of it are applied to the
woimd. The Raiz Preto acts as a violent emetic and
purgative, and also induces copious perspiration. If it
operates freely in this manner, they augur favourably of
the patient's recovery. Besides this plant they use many
others. Snakes have generally a disagreeable musky
smell, and it is a common opinion among the people, that
any plant possessing one similar, is sure to be valuable
in the cure of their bites.
In the province of Pemambuco, I found that a common
method of cure was to give the patient rum to drink, till
he was in a perfect state of intoxication ; and this they
affirm is very frequently a successful remedy. But the
most extraordinary method of cure which I have ever
heard of, is one which was communicated to me by
a farmer (Fazendeiro) who accompanied me to Rio, on
my return from the mountains. Only three days, he
said, before he left his estate, one of his oxen was bitten
on the leg by a Jararaca, but having immediately appUed
his remedy, it became as well as any of the others before
he quitted home. This remedy consists of the following
THE OBOAN MOUNTAINS. 53
well-known Latin acrostic, or, as he termed them, magical
words : —
S. A. T. O. R.
A. R. E. P. O.
T. E. N. E. T.
O. P. E. R. A.
R. O. T. A. S.
Each line is to be written separately on a slip of paper,
and then rolled into the form of a pill, the whole five to
be given as soon as possible after the person or animal
has been bitten. He also gave me quite as ridiculous
a remedy for the cure of drunkenness. This was to place
a piece of bread ia the arm-pits of a dying man, and allow
it to remain there till he was perfectly dead. The smallest
portion of this bread, he aflSrmed, given, without their
knowledge, to those addicted to intemperance, would
produce a perfect cure.
Catesby mentions that in North America he has seen
death result from the bite of a Rattle Snake in less than
two minutes ; I have also heard of death taking place
very shortly after the bite in Brazil, but I have never
actually seen it in less than ten or twelve hours. In those
cases where the poison acts so quickly, it must be so
strong as to destroy the nervous energy at once. In
those in which the patient lingers for one or more days,
death generally takes place from inflammation and mortifi-
cation of the subcutaneous cellular substance. During
the course of my journeys in the interior, I met frequently
with persons who had recovered from severe snake bites,
bat abnost all of them had broken constitutions, and
suffered from ulcerated limbs. From all that I have seen.
54 , TRAVELS IN BRAZIL^
I candidly confess, that I have no faith in any medicine
intended to act as a specific for a snake bite, whether
used internally or externally. I do not of course allude
to those which are usually applied for the reduction of
inflanunation and fever, as under any mode of treatment
they cannot be withheld. A ligature attached above the
wound, and instant incisions into the wound itself, and
the application of a cupping-glass, which, in the shape of
a wine glass, is always at hand, is more to be depended
on than any other external remedial agency.
My first journey of any length into the virgin forest
here, was made in company with M. Lomonosof, the
Russian minister at the court of Brazil, and Mr. Heath.
M. Lomonosof was desirous to witness a Tapir (Jnla)
hunt, that animal being very common on this range. It
is the largest South American quadruped, but is not of
greater size in the body than a calf about six months old,
and it stands upon much shorter legs. We left the Fazenda
about half past six o'clock in the morning, and entered
the forest at about three miles to the north of it. We
were accompanied by four negroes, and took provisions
with us for two days. We had also our guns and six
good dogs. For the first mile and a half we had a
tolerable path, leading through a forest of fine trees,
with very httle underwood except young palms, hun-
dreds of which were cut down by the blacks who were
clearing the way for us. In going up the valley we
crossed and re-crossed a small river, called the Imbuhy,
several times, on the banks of which I added largely to
my botanical collections. The most difficult part of our
path, was about half a mile which had to be cut through
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 55
a tiiick forest of bamboos. Having accomplished this, we
came upon an old track of a tapir. It was about two
feet broad, well beaten, and had foot marks of the animal
on it, but they were several days old. This path led us
through a densely wooded part of the forest, to one which
was less so, the larger trees being fewer, but instead, an
abundance of shrubs and large herbaceous plants. We
here came upon several paths which we found led to a
deep pool in the river, and evidently a place where the
tapir repairs to for the purpose of drinking and bathing.
While Mr. Heath was endeavouring to get the dogs upon
a recent track, I occupied myself in collecting a number
of curious plants, which grew on a sloping bank by the
side of the stream. It now began to rain, and the dogs
not having gone out, we again crossed the river and pro-
ceeded up the valley about a mile further. From thence
one of the dogs set off, but returned in about a quarter
of an hour without having turned up an3rthing. It was
now nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, and the rain
was beginning to fall heavily ; we therefore sought for a
place where we might encamp for the night, as we were
ten miles distant from the Fazenda, and M. Lomonosof
was too much fatigued to be able to return. The place
we selected was under the shade of some large trees, near
which grew abundance of the small cabbage palm {Euterpe
edulis, Mart.), the terminal bud of which is so much made
use of as a vegetable by the Brazilians. A hut was soon
erected, and thickly thatched over with the leaves of this
palm. At first we were dreadfully annoyed by mosquitos
and a little sand-fly, but the kindling of a large fire in
front of our hut soon dispersed them. Palm leaves were
56 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
spread upon the floor for our bed, and we had a small
log of wood for a pillow. It rained heavily all night but
we did not suffer from it. We got up next morning by
break of day, and prepared to return home, as it still
continued to rain. I was somewhat amused at the vessel
in which the blacks cooked their breakfast. It was a pot
made from a part of the thick stem of a bamboo, the
bottom being formed by the division which occurs at each
joint. It is placed upright on the fire, and so long as it
cont€dns water will not bum through. Among the many
uses to which the bamboo may be put, that is one which
I never heard of before nor seen since. After a sUght
breakfast, we commenced our journey homeward ; but
before getting out of the forest, M. Lomonosof, little
accustomed to a hunter's life, became so exhausted from
fatigue, that it was with difficulty he reached the place
where horses had been ordered to be sent to await our
return.
The animals which inhabit the vast forests of the Organ
Mountains are, perhaps, no less various than the forms of
the vegetable creation. Formerly the Ounce, or Jaguar
{Felia On^a), used to be common, but now it is only
occasionally that its roar is heard at night, or that cattle
or sheep suffer from its depredations. The black variety,
to which the Brazilians give the name of Tigre, is still
more rare. The woods, however, abound with a very
pretty species of wild cat {Felia pardalis). Monkeys are
very numerous. In the morning the forests resound with
the unearthly howling of the Barbado {Mycetea barbatu8\
which is as large as an ordinary dog, they hve in bands
of many together. There are several others quite as large,
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. B7
but they are seldom to be seen. The grey Marmoset,
which is so common in the forests of the northern pro-
vinces, is not to be met with here, but another, and per-
haps a still more beautiful species is occasionally found.
It is the Jaccus auritus. It is easily distinguished from
all the other species by its nearly uniform dark colour,
and the pencils of long white hairs which come out from
its ears. The Sloth {Achem At) is also occasionally found
feeding on the leaves of the Cecropia peltata^ which form
his favourite food. One which I had for some time in
captivity, was of a timid and fretful disposition. Like
most other animals in which the brain is small in propor-
tion to the development of the nervous system, it is very
tenacious of life. Although more tardy in its movements
than most quadrupeds of its size, it passes with consi-
derable rapidity fix)m branch to branch, from which in
its progress it always hangs by the legs and feet. It
owes much to Waterton, for being the first to remove the
stigma which Buflfon and others put upon its character.
In the river which flows through the valley, the Brazilian
Otter {Imtra Srasiliemis), and the Capybara {Hydro-
ch^erua capybara), are still occasionally to be met with.
A pretty little deer {Cervus nemorivaytis) frequently at-
tracts the sportsman to the woods, as do also the two
species of Fecari {Dicotyles labiatus and torquatui), which
are so common all over the intertropical parts of South
America. A kind of Opossum {Didelphia Azara) is as
much the pest of the fowl-house as the fox is in Europe.
It is very tenacious of life, getting up and running away
when every bone in its body appears to be broken by the
blows which have been inflicted on it. In the woods an
68 TRAVIS IN BRAZIL.
Armadillo {Tafuaia pebd) is not uncommon, the stewed
flesh of which makes excellent food ; and in the forests a
prehensile-tailed kind of Porcupine {Sphigurm spinosm)
is also often met with ; they both burrow in the ground.
The great Ant-bear {Mymiecopkaffa tamaridud) is rarely,
though occasionally, to be met with. Along with the
monkeys, a little brown squirrel is often to be seen
sporting among the branches of the trees.
Besides the numerous fly-catchers and other small
birds, the wild pigeons, the flocks of parroquets and par-
rots, the hawks, owls, and the various species of Toucans,
remarkable for their brilliant colours, and the great size
of their bills, there are several large birds which are much
sought after by the sportsman. These are the Jacu,
Jacutinga, Jacubemba, Jacuassu, all gaUinaceous birds
belonging to the genus Penelope ; two species of Quail,
the Macucu {Tinamua macaco), and the Nhambu {Pezm
niamba)\ and, lastly, a Partridge {Perdix Guianensis),
the Capoeira of the Brazilians. Of reptiles there are
numerous snakes, many of which are beautifully coloured,
a vast variety of lizards, and innumerable hordes of frogs
and toads of all sizes, from the small tree kind not more
than an inch long, to those marsh ones which are nearly
large enough to fill a hat. Till one gets accustomed to
the sounds which they produce, particularly previous to
rain, they are almost deafening. During the day the air
is full of beautiful butterflies of all colours, now flying
from flower to flower, and now alighting on the moist
sandy banks of pools and small streams in countless
numbers. The large nests of wasps hang from the boughs
of the trees, and smaller ones are often hidden among
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 59
the leaves and small branches of shrubs, the inhabitants
of which, when disturbed, rush out and inflict summary
punishment on the unhappy transgressor. In open places
the leaves and flowers of bushes, and other plants, abound
with Diamond and other beetles ; while at night the air
is lighted up with fire-flies of various sizes, which, firom
their brilliancy, give the idea that part of the stars have
fallen from the firmament, and are floating about without
a resting place.
While I resided at Mr. March's I firequently paid a
visit to a Brazilian, Joaquim Paulo by name, who has a
small estate about ten miles distant. My first visit was
made along with Mr. Heath, and as we arrived shortly
before dinner, we were invited to partake of that meal.
This I was not displeased at, as it gave me an opportunity
of witnessing the internal economy of a Brazilian country
house, never having been in one before. The dinner was
substantial and clean, but every dish was, according to
the custom of the country, highly seasoned with garlick.
The table was covered with a clean cloth, on one end of
which was laid a heap of ground cassava root (Farinha
de Mandiocca), and on the other a heap of ground Indian
com [Farinha de Milho). On one of these heaps was
placed a large dish of boiled black French beans {Feijoens),
with a large piece of fat pork {Toucinho) in the midst of
them ; while on the other was laid a dish of stewed fowl.
We had also roast pork and blood sausages. From these
dishes and heaps every one helped himself. As a vege-
table we had a dish of cabbage-palm {Euterpe edtdis),
which is very tender and most delicious, tasting not un-
like asparagus. During dinner we were each furnished
60 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
with a cap of Lisbon wine ; and after it we had various
kinds of sweatmeats. Besides ourselves, there were only
oar host and two of his sons. Indeed, lus wife and
daughters I did not see till I had been several times at
the house. The two girls were rather pretty, but they
could neither read nor write. The father would not
allow them to learn either, from fear that they would
take to the readiag of novels, and the writiog of love
letters. He was himself a most inveterate huntsman,
being almost always in the woods in pursuit of game.
He was a capital shot, and had killed more tapirs with
his own hand than any one in th^ vicinity.
I. also visited occasionally a coffee plantation called
Constantia, about fifteen miles distant from Mr. March's,
belonging to M. De Luze, a Swiss, who had been many
years in the country. It is situated in a flat valley sur-
rounded by sloping hills, and is one of the most lovely
spots I have ever seen. In the neighbourhood of it there
are two other coffee plantations belonging to Germans,
but they have all ascertained that the elevation is too
great for the successful cultivation of coffee. Since then
M. De Luze has sold his estate to Mr. March, and bought
a larger one, in a fine coffee country on the banks of the
Bio Farahiba. In the latitude of Bio, coffee does not
succeed at a much greater elevation than 2000 feet. At
Mr. March's the bush grows well, but it never ripens its
firuit properly.
The most distant journey I made, was to an estate
about twenty miles to the north of Mr. March's Fazenda.
About the middle of April, Mr. Heath received a note
from the lady to whom it belongs, Dona Rita Thereza da
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 61
Roza^ asking him as a great favour to ride over and take
me along with him to see her little daughter, who a few
days before had been attacked with apoplexy and para-
lysis. On the foDowing day it was our intention to have
gone, but heavy rains, which came on and flooded the
rivers, prevented us from starting till the succeeding day.
Mr. March's house being at the south end of his estate,
we had to pass along the whole length of it, a distance
of about eight miles. After leaving it our road led over
a very high hill ; it was steep, and, the soil being a kind
of red clay, was so slippery in consequence of the heavy
rains which had lately fallen, that our mules had con-
siderable difficulty in getting up. The decUvity Ott the
other side was nearly as bad. From this place the road
passed for the most part through large fields of Indian
com, which was then nearly ripe for collecting, and several
small patches of rice in the moist flat places. When we
arrived at the house of the lady, we learned that the daugh-
ter died the evening before. We were shown the body,
which had been put into a coffin, and placed in a neat
Ktile chapel belonging to the estate, and in which it was
to be buried. The interment was to take place on the
arrival of the Padre, who had to be brought from a dis-
tance of forty-eight miles, and was hourly expected. The
child was only eight years of age, but had been long
unwell. We had to remain to dinner, and, as many
relations and neighbours were present, the party was a
large one. Until dinner was ready, the eldest daughter,
a rather plain girl, was amusing herself by swinging to
and fro in a hammock, which was slung in one comer
of the dining-room. As an instance of the early age
62 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
at which women marry in Brazil, I may mention that we
were infonned by the lady herself, that she was married
at ten years of age, and was a mother before she had
completed her eleventh year. She was then forty-five
years old and had had no less than twenty-five births,
ten of which were miscarriages. We were received with
much kindness, and she expressed herself very grateful
for my visit.
As the Organ Mountains rise to an elevation of about
four thousand feet above Mr. March's house, I had long
been desirous to spend a few days among the high peaks,
for the purpose of making collections of their vegetable
productions. The only botanists who had visited Mr.
March's estate before me were LangsdorflF, the celebrated
voyager, and at that time Consul General for Russia in
Brazil, BurcheU the African traveller, and a. German of
the name of Lhotsky. The former explored the vegetation
in the neighbourhood of the Fazenda, during a stay of a
few weeks, about twelve or thirteen years before my visit ;
Mr. BurcheU remained six weeks, nine or ten years before ;
and Lhotsky, two or three weeks only, about five years
later. None of them botanized higher than the level of
Mr. March's house, and the knowledge of this fact made
me the more anxious to explore a field which promised
so much novelty. I had fixed on the early part of April
for going up, but the whole of that month was so wet
that I was prevented at that time from putting my design
into execution. May, however, having set in fine, I
started on the morning of the 6th, accompanied by four
negroes. One of them, " Pai Felipe," a Creole upwards
of sixty years of age, was to act as guide. This old fellow
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 63
was one of the most active, not only of blacks, but of any
individual of lis years I have ever seen, rrom his infancy
he had been accustomed to the woods, and was one of
the best hunters on the estate. The other three were to
carry provisions, and to assist in taking home my collec-
tions. We entered the forest at about a mile to the
north of Mr. March's house, and our road for that day was
nearly due west. Two years before, an EngUsh merchant
firom Bio ascended, from mere curiosity, to within a few
hundred feet of the summit, guided by the same old black
who accompanied me. For the first few miles we were
able to keep the road which he had made, but, from
the rapid growth of the bamboos and underwood through
which it had been cut, it was as difficult to force our way
as if no path had ever been made. Our progress was but
slow, it being necessaiy for one of the blacks to go on
before in order to cut a pass. Some of the bamboos were
of immense size ; I measured several about six inches in
diameter, and their height could not be less than eighty
or a hundred feet. The intemodes are generally filled
with water, obviously secreted by the plant itself. Prince
Maximilian, in his travels, speaks of this fluid as forming
a most deUcious beverage to hunters and others in the
woods. I have frequently tasted it, but always found it
so nauseous that the most urgent thirst alone would
compel me to drink it.
Near the entrance of the wood we passed a large
species of Copaifera, the lower part of the stem of which
had been pierced for the purpose of obtaining the balsam
which those trees exude. For miles our route lay nearly
parallel with a small river, along the banks of which grew
64 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
some very large trees, among them I observed a species
of LauruSy and another of Pleroma^ both in flower. . The
underwood consisted of a great variety of shrubby Melas-
tomacecBy Myrtacece, MuhiaceiBy and suffruticose species of
Begonia. In other places elegant tree-ferns abounded,
their stems often covered with httle delicate species of the
same tribe, or air-plants bearing beautiful flowers. Pretty
herbaceous ferns and handsome-flowered Begonias were
trodden down at every footstep. The steins of the large
trees were covered with Bromelias, lillandsias, Orchideay
ferns, and a cUmbing species of Begonia, Occasionally
a large plant of Cadm truncatm was to be seen hanging
from rocks or from the stem of some large tree, covered
with hundreds of beautiful pink blossoms. In crossing
over a hill about five hundred feet high, which stands
in the valley we were now passing through, I found the
top of it Uterally covered with various kinds of Orchida-
ceous plants, but with the exception of the beautiful little
Sophronites grandifiora, which was then in flower, all had
been previously met with at a lower elevation. It was
here likewise that I first met with Laxemburgia ciliosa^ a
fine shrub producing large corymbs of lemon-coloured
flowers, and belonging to the violet tribe. On this hill
I hkewise observed two kinds of bamboo, different from
the large kinds in the woods below. One of them had
the intemodes considerably shorter in proportion to the
size of the plant, and was altogether much smaller. The
other species was still less, its stem not being more than
half an inch in diameter, but continuing of that thickness
to a height of fifteen or twenty feet. The getting through
these was the most difficult part of our day's journey.
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 65
At four o clock, p.m., we reached a place by the side of a
small stream, where I detarmined to remain for the night ;
and, while the blacks were occupied in cutting wood for
a fire and in preparing dinner, I took a walk up the
course of the little stream. As I estimated this spot to
be at an elevation of about 4,500 feet, I naturally ex-
pected a vegetation diflTerent from that in the valley below.
The first plant that attracted my attention was what I
imagined to be a fine individual of Cereus truncatuSy in
full flower, hanging from the under side of the trunk of
a large tree that was bent over the stream, but on getting
possession of it, it proved to be a new, and, perhaps,
a still more beautiful species. I have' named it Cereus
Russellianua, in honour of His Grace the late Duke of
Bedford, one of the most liberal supporters of my mission
to Brazil ; it has since been introduced to the hot-houses
of England. A little way further up the stream, by the
side of a small waterfall, and on a slanting bank near it,
grew great abundance of a fine dark red-flowered Ama-
ryllia. This spot is one of the most charming I have ever
seen. The bed of the stream is about ten feet broad,
but it is only during heavy rains that the water covers
this space ; at tins time the stream was little more than
perceptible. The water falls over three successive shelves
of granite, each about eight feet high, the faces of which
are covered with mosses. Along the stream at the bot-
tom of the fall there are several middle-sized trees, the
branches of which are festooned with the long branches
of a Fuchsia, loaded with splendid crimson flowers. By
the side of the faU there are several bushes of a large
flowered Pleroma, and, along with them, a few of a
r
66 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL
red-blossomed Eaterhazya^ and a broad thick-leaved species
of Clusia (C fraffrans, Gard.), loading the atmosphere
with a delightful odour arisiug from its large white blos-
soms ; beneath these grow the Amaryllis, an Eryrtgiwm^
several Tillandsids and many Ferns. Having gained the
upper part of the fall, I found a space, extending to a
considerable distance on each side and for some way up
the mountain, destitute of trees — ^nothing but bare por-
tions of rock, with occasional masses of low shrubs and
herbaceous plants. Among the OrchidecBy the beautiful
Zygopetalon Mackai% and the odorHeroua MoMllariapicta,
were not the least common. Darkness now beginning to
set in, I returned to the encampment, where I found a
large fire lighted ; the evening was so fine that I consi-
dered the erection of a hut unnecessary, and lay down
about eight, p.m., on a few palm leaves by the fire, with
my Poncho round me, to pass the night.
When I arose next morning at day-break, I found the
thermometer at 46°. While breakfast was preparing I
again went out to botanize, but added Uttle more than a
few Ferns to my collection of the previous evening. Our
journey to the place where we slept was of very gradual
ascent ; we had now to commence the ascent prcfper of
the peaks. Leaving behind all that was not actually
necessary to be taken along with us, we began bur jour-
ney by passing the httle waterfall, and walking up the
bed of the stream, along the gently sloping face of a
granite rock; the ascent of several parts of this was
rather difficult, having to crawl up on our hands and
knees ; after half an hour's hard work we reached a com-
paratively flat wooded spot. On the steep part I collected.
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 67
in moist places, an Eriocaulon, a small Sun-Dew, and a
new genus belonging to the Gentian tribe ; among these
grew also the curious Burmannia bicolor. In passing
through the wood above mentioned, I saw plenty of my
new Cactus growing on the stems of the larger trees,
whilst the rocks were covered with Gemerias, and diflferent
kinds of Orchidaceous plants. Emerging from the wood
we encoimtered another steep rocky place, ahnost entirely
covered with a large pine-apple-like lillandsia, above
which rose a few plants of a fine large scarlet-flowered
shrubby Salvia (S. Senthamiana, Gardn.), and a pale
blossomed Firffularia; on a nearly bare portion of the
rock, grew several patches of a large herbaceous plant,
belonging to the tribe of the Gentians ; it grows from a
foot to two feet high, with thick succulent glaucous leaves,
the upper ones connate, and from out of which proceed
about half a dozen pedicels, each bearing a single large
flower, the cal3rx of which is much inflated and tinged
with purple; it is the Prepusa connata, Gardn. The
only previously known species was found by Martins, on
a large mountain range between the Diamond country
and Bahia; a third was afterwards discovered on the
very summit of the Organ Mountains. Passing this place
we again entered a wooded tract, where we found many
Tapir paths, as we had also done the day previous in
the woods through which we passed, which rendered
our progress much quicker than it otherwise would have
been, as the branches above only require to be cut away
to make a good road. Judging from the abundance of
the tracts which we here met with, the Tapir must be a
very common animal in this remote and solitary part of
p2
68 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the mountams ; here they are as yet out of the reach of
the hunter, who commits great havock among those which
inhabit the lower woods, and there is also abundance of
herbage to supply them with food. In passing through
this wood, one of the blacks shot a Jacutinga {Penelope
Jacutififfa, Spix), and I collected specimens of a few Or-
chideous plants, and a large yellow-flowered Senedo,
Leaving the wood we came upon. a slanting Sphagnum
bog, in which grew some very alpine-looking shrubs;
these consisted chiefly of a Proteaceous-like Baccharis, a
Faccznium, an Andromeda^ the Lavomera imbricata, re-
markable for its large flowers and small leaves, and a
Pleroma ; among the moss, an Eriocatdon, and a hand-
some Utricularia, with large cordate leaves and purple
flowers, grew in the greatest profusion. Judging from
the top of the mountain, we were now at an elevation of
nearly 6,000 feet. Leaving it, we commenced a very
steep ascent covered principally with low shrubs; we
continued our way for about an hour through this stunted
vegetation, making but slow progress, although we were
much facilitated by having the path of the Tapir to crawl
up. By following this track we reached a point from
which a beautiful prospect of the low country is obtained,
particularly to the eastward, where, as far as the eye
could reach, it was one mass of conical shaped hills, only
one ridge rising to any considerable height above the
rest ; the point we had attained was the summit of one
of the many peaks which form the upper range of the
Organ Mountains. At about a quarter of a mile distant
stood, what I then believed to be the highest peak, and
certainly not more than three or four hundred feet above
THB ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 69
US ; but between the two peaks lay a deep densely- wooded
ravine. It being now past two o'clock in the afternoon,
it was too late to think of ascending it that day, so I
determined to remala where we were for the night, and
attempt it next day, but the blacks refused to do so, on
account of no water being nearer than a little above
where we had slept the previous night ; as I could not
force them to remain, I was, much against my will, ob-
liged to abandon all idea of reaching the summit at this
time. Not having a barometer with me, I endeavoured
to ascertain the boiling point of water, but in doing so,
broke the tube of the thermometer. Four years later,
during a visit of six days to the peaks, I was more fortu-
nate ; of that excursion an account will be found in a
subsequent part of the present work. The summit of
the peak on which we now were, was quite a httle flower
garden ; a pretty Ftichsia, in full flower, was trailing over
the bare rocks, in their clefts grew a handsome Amaryllis,
and on all sides niunerous flowering shrubs. The cool-
ness of the "air and the stillness were quite refreshing ;
not a sound was to be heard ; and the only animals to
be seen were a few small birds, so tame that they allowed
us to come quite close to them. After partaking of a
sUght repast we commenced our downward journey, and
reached our encampment just as night was setting in.
Next day, following the route by which we had come, we
arrived at the Fazenda about four o'clock in the after-
noon, groaning under our loads.
About a week after our return, I made another visit
to the place where we had formerly encamped ; my object
was to obtain additional specimens of the many new
70 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
plants which I had found in that neighbourhood. On
this occasion I was again accompanied by " Pai Felipe "
and the other three blacks ; we left the Fazenda at eight
o'clock in the morning, and reached our sleeping place
about three in the afternoon. On the following day I
occupied myself with making excursions in various direc-
tions; during these walks I collected great plenty of
Cerem Bussellianus. This plant oflTers a good example of
nearly allied species representing each other in diflTerent
regions of the same mountain ; during the many times
that I passed through the woods, on my journeys to and
from the peaks, I always found Cerem truncatm confined
to the dense virgin forests below the elevation of 4,500
feet, while from this point to nearly the summit of the
mountains, Cerem Bmselliafitis alone was seen, enjoying
a more open and a cooler region. The day was one of the
most delightful I ever remember to have witnessed, quite
like one of the finest days of an English summer ; the
sky was clear and unclouded, and the atmosphere being
free from that haze which often, in the finest weather,
renders the view of distant objects indistinct, allowed us
to obtain a perfect and well-defined prospect of the high
mountains far to the eastward. Having got all my spe-
cimens put into paper, I lay down to sleep shortly after
seven o'clock, little dreaming what a miserable night I
was to spend. I had just fallen asleep by the fire, on
my bed of palm leaves, when I was suddenly aroused
from my slumber by a deluge of rain which was pouring
down ; one of those sudden and heavy thunder-storms,
which are never witnessed in temperate climes, was
passing over us. Had we been in an open place, we
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS. 71
might have seen it approaching and been able to form
some kind of shelter before it came on, but the tops of
the trees by which we were covered prevented this. I
never was out in such weather ; the flashing of the light-
ning, the roUing of the thunder, which was breaking
inmiediately over us, the roaring of the wind among the
trees, and the falling of rotten branches, all combined to
render the scene terrific. In a few minutes our large
fire was extinguished, and the place swimming with
water ; although I was covered with a thick Poncho, it
was but a poor protection for such a night. In half an
hour the small stream beside us, which during the day
had only a few inches of water, came roaring down like
a cataract. To add to our misery, the night was pitch
dark, so that we could not see to remedy our situation.
What a night I spent may be imagined, when I mention
that I sat from about half past seven in the evening till
nearly three o'clock in the morning, under an incessant
deluge of rain; a more perfect picture of patience, I
flatter myself, could not be witnessed. About three it
began to abate, and being in a shivering condition from
the cold and wet, we made several attempts to kindle a
fire, but without success: everything was too wet to
bum, and we were therefore obliged to content ourselves
without one. By seating myself at the root of a tree,
and leaning my back against it, I managed, at four
different times, to obtain about an hour's sleep, but con-
stantly awoke cold and shivering. Never was I so glad
as when the first rays of day-light were seen streaming
through the trees ; and, as soon as we could see, we lost
no time in preparing to return home. Shortly after we
72 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
did start it began again to rain, and continued till we
reached the Fazenda, at two o'clock in the afternoon.
During the whole of my six month's residence on the
Moimtains, the cottages were generally crowded with
visitors. There was, consequently, much gaiety, it being
seldom that an evening party was not held at one or
other of them, where nearly the whole of the residents
assembled. Then there were frequent Pic-nic parties to
different distant parts of the estate, and, when the wea-
ther permitted, dehghtful evening rides. In this manner
many of my leisure hours, which otherwise must have
passed away very dully, were most agreeably spent. In-
deed, I still look back upon those few months as one of
the most happy periods of my life, for independantly of
those pleasant pastimes, I was daily occupied with a
favourite pursuit, and that, too, in a field which was all
but new.
CHAPTER III.
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO.
Departure from Bio de Janeiro— Arrival at Babia — ^Description of this
City — ^Voyage to Pemambuco— Jangadas — ^Description of the City
and Environs of Pemambuco— The Jesuits — The Peasantry — ^Town
of Olinda — Its Colleges and Botanic Garden — ^Visit to the Village
of Monteiro — ^The German Colony of Catuca — ^The Island of Itama-
rica — ^Pilar — Saltworks of Jaguaripe — ^Prevalent Diseases in the
Island — Its Fisheries — ^Peculiar Mode of Capture.
On the tenth of June, 1837, 1 arrived in Rio from the
Organ Mountains, and, during the remainder of that
month, July, August, and the early part of September,
occupied myself in arranging and packing the collections
brought down with me, and in making a few excursions
in the neighbourhood. Having at length despatched
everything for England, I took a passage for Pemambuco
in H.M. Packet 'Opossum,' being now desirous to ex-
plore the northern provinces. We sailed from Rio on the
fifteenth of September, and, after a passage of thirteen
days, during which we had much bad weather and con-
trary winds, reached Bahia. At three o'clock, p.m., on
the twenty-eighth, we came to an anchor in the bay
opposite the city, and about a mile distant from it. As
the land along this part of the coast rises only a few
74 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
hundred feet above the level of the sea^ it is not seen at
so great a distance as the high lands are at Rio. Tn
sailing up the bay, we kept pretty close to the shore, and
I could not help remarking the great luxuriance of the
vegetation. Cocoa-nut trees and other large pabns are
veiy abundant, and the mango trees are both larger and
more numerous thau those about Rio. The city of Bahia,
when first seen, has a very imposing appearance, the
greater part of it being built on the face of a hill, which
rises about 500 feet above the sea, and the houses, most
of which are of several stories, are all white-washed ex-
ternally. The effect is much heightened by the great
number of banana, orange, and cocoa-nut trees which are
intermingled with the houses, the dark green leaves con-
trasting well with the white, and affording a pleasant
relief to the eye. The Packet being allowed to remain
here forty-eight hours, for the preparation of the mails
for Pemambuco and England, I went on shore shortly
after our arrival, with some of the other passengers.
The city of Bahia, sometimes called San Salvador, is
situated in the bay which is known by the name of
*' Todos OS Sautos." It is divided into an upper and a
lower town ; the lower is built on the narrow sUp of land
that Ues between the sea and the rising ground on which
the upper town stands. It consists chiefly of one long
street, which is both narrow, badly paved, and dirty.
The houses are mostly high, and those adjoining the
shore project considerably into the sea. After viewing
this commercial portion of the city, we proceeded to the
upper town. As the streets which form the communica-
tion between them are too perpendicular to allow the use
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 75
of carriages, those who do not choose to walk are carried
in a kind of covered chair slung on a pole, which is borne
on the shoulders of two negroes. These *' Cadeiras " are
conunonly used both by ladies and gentlemen, and can
always be hired in the streets. We, however, preferred
walking, and after passing through some of the principal
streets, and visiting the inside of one of the large
churches, we strayed out a little -way into the country,
delighted with the rich and pleasing aspect which it
afforded. In the evening we visited the reading room of
the Literary Society, where we found a few of the news-
papers, and many of the Uterary and scientific journals,
of France, England, and America. After a short stay
here, we went to a large hotel opposite the theatre, where
we took up our quarters for the night ; but, what with
the uncomfortable beds, the rattling of dice, and the still
louder clink of dollars, in an apartment immediately
below us, which continued till nearly four o'clock in the
morning, our night's rest was not of the most refreshing
nature.
On the forenoon of the following day, we visited a
convent towards the west end of the city, where the nuns
make artificial flowers for sale, from the feathers of birds.
We were shown into a small room, separated from the
body of the building by a thick wall, through which the
traffic takes place by means of a large grated window.
We were soon surrounded by wreaths of all kinds and
colours suited for head dresses ; these were either sent
round to us in baskets, or pushed, one by one, through
the grating on a stick. It is the duty of each nun in her
turn to officiate as sales-woman, whenever purchasers
76 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
visit the convent, the flowers being brought to her by the
servants of the establishment, who are either black or
brown girls ; the one upon whom this duty fell at the
period of our visit was neither young nor beautiful, and
destroyed all my romantic notions regarding nuns and
nunneries. Several purchases were made by my com-
panions with a view of taking them as presents to Eng-
land.
After leaving the convent, T hired a boat in order to
proceed a few miles further up the bay, and landed
on a peninsula called Bomfim, across which I walked,
accompanied by one of the two blacks belonging to the
boat, the distance being rather less than two miles.
After leaving the shore, on which grew Sophora tomen-
tosuy and Eugenia Michelii, two shrubs common all along
the coast of Brazil, I passed through a marsh containing
several species of plants that were new to me. Beyond
this, the road passed through a dry sandy hollow, in
which not a breath of air was to be felt, and the rays of
the mid-day sun, reflected from the white sand, had so
heated the atmosphere, that I was almost suffocated
before I could reach a little eminence at the other end of
it. Here, also, I enriched my collections, and still further
on I found the thistle-like Ampherephis aristata growing
commonly by the road-sides ; and some large pools in a
marsh, under the shade of a thicket of giant palms, were
quite covered over with Pistia stratioteSy a plant nearly
related to the Duck-weeds of England, but of a much
larger size : other pools were gay with the yellow flowers
of Limnanthemum Humboldtianum. After reaching the
shore I walked along it for a little way, and then returned
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 77
to the boat by a diflTerent route. In passing through
a swampy place at the foot of a hill, on which a large
church stands, I found a few specimens of the beautiful
Angelonia hirmta, with its long spikes of large blue
flowers. I afterwards met with several new species of
this fine genus, some of which, raised from seeds sent
home by me, are now common in hot-houses. During
this walk I observed some very large mango trees, many
of them twice the size of those growing about Eio.
These trees have a handsome appearance when seen at a
distance, surrounding the numerous white-washed coun-
try houses ; the trunk, which is often of great thickness,
seldom rises above eight or ten feet above the ground,
when it branches into many widely-spreading ramifi-
cations, which rise to a great height, and are so densely
covered with leaves as to be impenetrable to the burning
rays of the sun, thus forming a most agreeable and luxu-
riant shade. At three o'clock we returned to the boat,
well loaded with my day's spoil. In the evening I dined
with a gentleman to whom I brought letters from Rio,
and there met a young Scotchman, who invited me to
sleep at his house. Next morning he accompanied me
into the country a short way ; we started a little before
six o'clock, walked to the distance of about six miles,
and reached the city again by a different route before
ten. The country inland, so far as I could observe, forms
a sort of elevated table-land, of a gently undulating na-
ture, and the appearance of the vegetation bespeaks great
richness of soil. Besides great plenty of large mango
trees, I observed many Jacks {Artocarpua integrifolmi) of
almost equal size, the trunks and large branches of which
78 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
were loaded with their large yellow-coloured fruit ; this
tree is veiy much cultivated in this part of Brazil, and, I
was told, that, a few yeacs before my visit, during a
scarcity of provisions in the province, its fruit, which is
yielded in the greatest abundance, was the means of pre-
venting a famine among the black population. On our
return to the city, we passed a small village close by the
sea, the inhabitants of which, principally blacks, are
mostly occupied in whale fishing, the sperm whale being
rather plentiful on this part of the coast. On entering
the bay, we observed a number of whale boats going out,
manned by negroes. On visiting Bahia, one circumstance
which forcibly strikes the attention of a stranger, even
coining from the other provinces of Brazil, is the appear-
ance of the blacks met with in the streets ; they are the
finest to be seen in the country, both men and women
being taU and well-formed, and generally intelligent,
some of them even, as I have elsewhere observed, being
tolerable Arabic scholars ; they have nearly all been im-
ported from the Gold coast, and, not only from their
greater physical strength and inteUigence, but from being
united among themselves, they are more incUned to in-
surrectionary movements, than the mixed races in the
other provinces: only a fortnight after I left Bahia a
serious insurrection took place, headed, indeed, by some
white Brazilians, but supported by most of the black
population; they kept possession of the city for many
months, nor were they folly dispossessed of it till after
the destruction of much life and property.
On the thirty-first, at three o'clock in the afternoon,
we set sail for Pemambuco. On the second night after
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 79
we left, while I was walking the quarter deck with the
captaiii, the watch forward reported a sail close on the
weather-bow ; the crew were immediately piped to quar-
ters, and, in less than five minutes, were all on deck
ready for action. Shortly afterwards we saw the vessel
pass us at some distance and disappear. As these Packets
generally carry home a large amount of specie to Eng-
land, it was not without reason that the captain prepared
himself for what might happen, especially on a coast
where suspicious craft are not unfrequently hovering
about. There was something exciting in this little inci-
dent, and it afforded matter for conversation on the
following day. After a passage of nine days, land was
descried early in the morning from the mast head, and
in the course of a few hours we could see it from the
deck, rising above the horizon like a long black cloud.
On nearing the coast it presented a very flat and barren-
like aspect, forming a great and unpromising contrast to
the magnificent entry to the bay of Rio de Janeiro. The
town being built nearly on a level with the sea, we could
only obtain a view of that portion of it which immediately
skirts the shore, the houses and the cocoa-nut trees
appearing above the horizon. No part of the coast
within many leagues of Pemambuco, rises to any height,
except that whereon the old town, called Olinda, stands,
and which is situated about three miles north of Recife,
the name of the sea-port. While standing in for the
harbour, we passed a number of fishing boats of a very
peculiar construction; they are called Jangadas, and
formed of four, or more, logs of wood lashed together,
having a mast and very large sail, a fixed stool-like seat.
80 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
but no bulwarks, so that the waves constantly break over
them ; they sail with remarkable speed, and often ven-
ture to a great distance from land. A few of the same
craft may be seen at Bahia, but none at Rio. The Ught
wood of which they are formed is obtained from a species
of Apeibtty a genus allied to our own Linden-tree. We
anchored in the outer roads about twelve o'clock, and,
after the lapse of an hour and a half, a pilot came on
board, and conducted us into the harbour, which is quite
a natural one, being formed by a reef that runs along the
coast, at a little distance from the shore ; the entrance is
through a breach, upon the south side of which is a light-
house and a small fort. A very heavy swell runs outside
the reef and breaks over it, but there is always calm water
within ; and at fall tide it is sufficiently deep to float the
largest merchant vessels that visit the port.
The town of Pemambuco has but few recommenda-
tions to those who are not engaged in business. The
houses are higher than those at Rio, the streets for the
most part still more narrow, and certainly quite as dirty.
In nearly all the towns and cities of BrazU, rain is the
only scavenger, and by it the streets are kept tolerably
clean in such of them as are bmlt on dechvities, but this,
unfortunately, is not the case with Pemambuco ; in the
wet season, the streets are full of mud and water, and in
the dry, the mud is converted into clouds of dust. It
has always appeared extraordinary to me that epidemic
diseases do not prevail to a much greater extent than
they do under such circumstances. The town consists
of three great divisions : that in which the principal trade
is carried on, is situated on a narrow neck of land, which
BAHIA AND PERNAMBrCO. 81
Irons down between the sea and a river from Olinda, and
is called Recife ; another, principally occupied with shops,
and containing the palace of the President, is built on
an island, and is known by the name of St. Antonio ;
the third, called Boa Vista, consisting principally of one
long street, is constructed on the main-land, and is by
far the finest part of the whole. These are all connected
by means of two wooden bridges. As Pemambuco is
situated on the most eastern part of the American conti-
nent, it is fully exposed to the influence of the trade
winds all the year round, and hence enjoys a cool climate ;
it is considered more healthy than either Rio or Bahia.
Except two or three churches it contains but few public
buildings, and, at the period of my visit, it had not a
single hotel of any description. The ' Palace ' in which
the affairs of the Provincial government are now carried
on, was in former times the Jesuits' College, and stands
on the bank of the river ; it is a large building of gloomy
appearance, with walls of enormous thickness. When it
was erected by these enterprising and charitable men,
they little dreamed that their career was to terminate at
so early a period as it did. It is handed down from
father to son, particularly among the middle and lower
classes of Brazil, that the destruction of Jesuitical power
was a severe loss to the well-being of the country. There
are of course but few alive now who have personal recol-
lection of the excellent men who formed the * Company
of Jesus,' but the memory of them will long remain ; I
have always heard them spoken of with respect and with
regret. What different men they must have been from
the degraded race who now undertake the dpiritual wel-
G
S2 TRAfVELS IN BRAZIL.
fare of this nation ! It is a hard thing to say, but I do it not
without well considering the nature of the assertion, that
the present clergy of Brazil are more debased and immoral
than any other class of men. However much the Jesuits
were slandered and persecuted from the jealousy of those
who envied the respect in which they were held by their
flocks, and the confidence which they reposed in them,
enough of the good still remains to shame those who
have succeeded them. More than one nation of Indians
in Brazil, which, in the time of the Jesuits, had renounced
their savage life and become Christians, have, since their
suppression, returned to the condition from which, at so
much risk, and with so much labour, they had been re-
deemed. Whatever were the motives of the Jesuits,
they are judged of in Brazil not by them, but by their
good works.
The inhabitants of the town of Pemambuco resemble
very much those of Rio, but there is a great difference in
the appearance of the country people, which here, as else-
where, are easily distinguished from the citizens. Those
seen in the streets of Rio de Janeiro are a tall handsome
race of men, mostly from the mining districts, or the
more southerly province of San Paulo ; their dress con-
sists of a linen jacket and trowsers, generally of a blue
colour, brown leather boots, which are firmly tied round
the leg a little above the knee, and a very high-crowned
broad-brimmed white straw hat. Those, on the contrary,
who frequent the city of Pemambuco, are a more swarthy
and more diminutive race, but still far superior in appear-
ance to the puny citizens. There are two classes of them,
the Matuto and the Sertanejo, the Matutos inhabit the
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 83
low flat country, which extends from the coast up to the
high land of the interior, called the Sertao, or desert, which
gives name to, and is inhabited by, the Sertanejos. The
dress of both for the most part, but of the latter in parti-
cular, consists of a low round-crowned broad-brimmed
hat, jacket, and trowsers, made of a thin yellowish brown-
coloured leather, that manufactured from the skin of the
different kinds of deer being preferred; in place of a
waistcoat they very frequently wear a triangular piece of
the same kind of leather, fastened round the neck and
middle by cords of the same material. The boots in use
in the province of Rio are unknown here, and either
shoes or shppers, also of brown leather, are worn instead.
The Matuto generally dispenses with the leather trowsers
and shoes, using in place of them a pair of wide cotton
drawers, which reach only a little below the knee, the
legs remaining bare. Cotton and hides are the principal
articles brought from the interior, and horses are the only
beasts of burden, mules being as rarely used for that
purpose here, as horses are in the southern provinces.
Each horse carries two large bales of cotton as well as
the driver, who places himself between them, stretching
his legs forward on a level with his seat.
Upon landing in Pemambuco, I found Dr. Loudon, a
Scotch physician resident in that city, awaiting my arrival,
who kindly invited me to remain with him during my
stay ; and as he had then been sixteen years in the place,
and was acquainted with most of the influential people
both foreign and Brazilian, I derived much advantage
from his friendship, more particularly so, as he was very
partial to the pursuit of natural history. Shortly after
g2
84 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
my arrival I delivered the letters of recommendation
given me by Mr. Hamilton, the British Minister at the
court of Rio, to Mr. Watts, the Consul, who obligingly
offered to introduce me to the President of the province,
Senhor Vicente Thomaz Pires de Figueredo Comargo.
The permission to wait upon his Excellency having been
given a few days afterwards, I accompanied Mr. Watts
to the palace, together with Dr. Loudon, who was a per-
sonal friend of the President. He received me with great
kindness, and when the object of my visit to the country
was explained to him, he promised to afford all the assist-
ance in his power, and, in the meantime, gave me a letter
to Dr. Serpa, the Professor of Botany and Curator of the
Botanic Garden at OUnda.
I was accompanied in my visit to Olinda by Mr. Nash,
a young Englishman, to whom I was indebted for many
acts of kindness during my residence at Pemambuco.
There are three routes to OHnda fix)m Recife ; one along
the shore, which is seldom taken on account of the loose
sandy nature of the soil, and the complete exposure of
the traveller to the sun. Another is by canoes, up the
stream before mentioned by which the surplus water
from a large lake behind Olinda is discharged into the
sea ; this stream runs parallel with the shore, from which
it is separated by a high sand-bank, and is fringed on
each side by a strip of mangroves, the mud in which
they grow emitting at low tide a very disagreeable efflu-
vium, and abounding in crabs of various sizes and colours,
while clouds of mosquitos always hover around and har-
bour among the branches. The third route, which we
pursued, runs parallel with the river, at a considerable
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 85
distance inland. This road is quite level, and at both
ends are seen several fine country houses, though much
of it passes through uncultivated, and often marshy land.
Occasiondly it is enclosed by Mimosa hedges, in which
is seen a slender climbing kind of Jasmine {Jasminum
JBahiense, DC), whose white flowers at the early hour we
passed were perfuming the air with their delightful fra-
grance. The roadside was gay with the large pale yellow
flowers of Tumera tnoniflora^ and the delicate pink heads
of a sensitive plant. Several different kinds of this latter
plant grow very abundantly all over the northern parts
of Brazil. SlieUey has truly said, that,
" Tlie sensitive plant has no bright flower,
Radiance and odour are not its dower, —
yet there are few in the whole range of the vegetable
kingdom, which are so much an object of curiosity to all
observers, or of so much interest to the physiologist. On
approaching Olinda, I was delighted to find the smface
of the lake — ^which abounds in alligators — covered vdth
thousands of the splendid large white blossoms and broad
floating leaves of a water-lily {NyiwphcBa arnplay DC),
and intermingled with them, the yellow flowers of Limno-
charis Commersonii, and a large Utricularia.
The Botanic Garden is situated in a hollow, behind
the town of Olinda, and, though of considerable size, has
only a portion of it under cultivation ; the residence of
the Professor stands nearly in the centre. We found Dr.
Serpa in his study, a rather large apartment, which he
uses also as a lecture-room ; he appeared to be about
sixty years of age, and we were impressed with his agree-
able manners and intelligence. Besides his other duties.
86 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
he had the principal medical practice in Olinda. A few
French works on Botany, Natural History, Agriculture,
and Medicine, composed the chief part of his limited
library. It was here that I first saw the * Flora Flumi-
nensis,' a work published at the expense of the Brazilian
government. The drawings from which the plates were
executed, were prepared at Rio de Janeiro, about the end
of the last century, under the direction of a Jesuit of the
name of Vellozo. It cost about £70,000., and, to use
the words of Dr. Von Martins, is " a strange publication,
which may be held up as an example of an ill-advised
literary undertaking, and on so great a scale that it ought
never to have been commenced. Eleven huge volumes,
with about fifteen hundred plates, constitute this bulky
work, whose usefulness is, alas ! not in proportion to the
expense it occasioned.*" The Doctor accompanied us
in a walk round the Garden, which I found to contain
little worthy of notice ; a few European medicinal plants,
struggling for existence, and some large Indian trees,
being its principal productions ; among the latter, how-
ever, were fine specimens of the Mango, Tamarind,
Cinnamon, and the Date-Palm. He had lately received
from the interior, plants of a species of Ipecacuanha, the
roots of which form an article of export from Pemambuco,
and the living specimens which I obtained from him are
now growing freely in the stoves of the Glasgow Botanic
Garden. They appear different from the one figured and
described by St. Hilaire, from the south of Brazil, and
will, I suspect, prove to be a distinct, though nearly
related species. Leaving the garden, we walked a little
* Vide Hooker's * Journal of Botany,' vol. iv. p. 5.
BAHIA AND P£RNAHBUCO. 87
way into the country, where I hoped to meet with some-
thing more interesting ; and in this expectation I was not
disappointed, as many new pknts were added to my
collections. On the dry bushy hills in this neighbour-
hood a wild fruit-tree grows very plentifully ; it is. the
. Mangaba of the Brazilians, and the Hancomia speciosa
of botanists ; it is a small tree belonging to the Natural
Order JpocyTtea, the small leaves and drooping branches
of which give it somewhat the resemblance of the weeping
birch. The fruit is about the size of a large plum, of a
yellow colour, but streaked a little with red on one side,
and the flavour is most delicious.
In the afternoon we returned to Olinda, to dine with
another gentleman to whom I also carried letters, Senhor
da Cunha. He had been educated in England, and was
an intelligent man. After dinner we walked out to see
the town, which is very pleasantly situated on an emi-
nence not far from the sea. It is a place of considerable
size, and in the olden time must have been a stirring one,
particularly as regards the clergy, judging from the num-
ber of churches, convents, monasteries, &c. It has now,
however, a desolate and deserted appearance, many fine
houses being untenanted and falling to decay, and the
streets are grown over with grass and weeds. On the
outskirts of the seaward side of the town, there are the
ruins of a large monastery, which, we went to see on
account of a hermit who had Uved there upwards of
seventeen years. We found it to be a very large building,
consisting of a church in the centre, still in use, and two
wings, containing the apartments formerly inhabited by
the friars, which are fast running into decay, particularly
88 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
those in the south wing. The north wing is in much
better repair, having a few good rooms, which are inha-
bited by some of the students attending a theological and
medical school, established in Olinda. Along the corri-
dors, and in some of the larger rooms, are still a few
paintings, but in a state of much decay. While surveying
this great fabric, we could not help thinking of the con-
trast it now offers to the times, not long gone by, when
its walls re-echoed to the footsteps and prayers of the
devotees of a religion, which was then in a much more
flourishing state than it now is, over nearly the whole of
the empire of Brazil.
It was among the ruins of the south wing that the
hermit lived. We visited the room in which he was said
to be generally found, but he was not there. We then
passed through a small court nearly choked with rubbish,
and entered a large dark room, partly filled with old
bricks and lime. Upon the floor of this wretched apart-
ment we found him lying, presenting a most miserable
appearance. His only covering consisted of a piece of*
thin black cloth wrapped round his body, his head, arms,
legs, and feet being bare. He appeared to be about
sixty years of age, but his long grey hair and beard made
him look older, perhaps, than he really was. He was
moaning and otherwise seemed to be in great agony, and
it was with some diflSculty he told us that two days
before, while walking across the floor of the room above,
it gave way, and he was precipitated to the place where
we found him extended, and from which he was unable
to move. We tried to raise him, but the slightest move-
ment gave him excmciating pain. As some of his bones
BAUIA AND PE&NAMBUCO. 89
seemed to be broken, a young man who had accompanied
us, went off immediately to proc^ure assistance, and have
him taken to the hospital. All the information I could
obtain, relating to this unfortunate being, was that at
one time, he had been an officer in the army, and
was now doing penance for a murder he had com-
mitted in his youth. We also visited a convent the nuns
belonging to which, prepare preserved fruits for sale.
Unlike the one I visited at Bahia, we could only speak
to, not see, those who were within. The fruit was put
upon a shelf of a revolving kind of cupboard, and in this
manner sent out to us; the money and empty plates
were returned in the same way. Like all the preserves
I have met with in the coimtry, those we had here were
spoiled with too much sugar.
For the first few days, my walks did not extend much
beyond the suburbs of the town. The country being
quite flat, the soil sandy, and the dry season having com-
menced, the herbaceous vegetation in the more exposed
situations, was beginning to suffer for want of rain. For
many miles round the town, the Cocoa-nut, and other
large Palms, grow in the greatest profusion, mixed with
fine trees of the Cashew-nut, then loaded with their
curious and refreshing fruit of a yellow or reddish colour,
and the Jack, the Bread-fruit, and the Orange. Much
attention, I observed, is paid to the gardens attached to
the houses near the town, many of them being tastefully
laid out, and adorned with beautiful shrubs, partly Bra-
zilian and partly of Indian origin. The Mimosa, and
other hedges, as about Rio, are festooned with climbers,
among which the Cow-itch plant {Stizolobium urcns) is
90 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the most abundant. There is also in many places a large
species of Dodder {Cuacutd), which climbs over the hedges
with its long yellow cord-like branches, and gives them a
most singular appearance. The sea-coast yielded me
many curious plants, particularly one part of it about
eight miles to the southward of the town, where the soil
for some distance inland, is very sandy, and covered with
shrubs. There I found, in great plenty, a new kind of
those curious mossy Cacti {Melocacttia depresstis. Hook.) ;
it was but a small one, being only about four inches
high, and eighteen in circumference.
About a fortnight after my arrival at Femambuco,
Dr. Loudon removed to his country house, situated on
the banks of the Rio Capibaribe, about four nules west
from Recife ; and, as the country round it was chiefly
uncultivated, this afforded more ample scope for my
researches. The Rio Capibaribe, which empties itself
into the harbour at the Recife, is of small size, and is
navigable only for canoes to a distance of about ten miles
from the town. The navigation for six miles, as far as
Monteiro, is very pleasant, and the scenery is rendered
more agreeable by the number of villas, surrounded by
gardens, which are scattered along its banks. Many of
these houses are only inhabited during the fine or dry
season, when most of the wealthy citizens resort to them
for the benefit of bathing in the river ; for, in hot ch-
mates, fresh water is preferred, as bathing in salt water
generally produces great irritation on the surface of the
body, from the salt crystaUizing there, unless washed off
with fresh water. For the purpose of bathing, each
house has a large shed projecting into the river, the tops
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 91
and sides of which are covered with cocoa-nut leaves.
They are mostly rebuilt every year, as they are generally
carried away by the floods in the rainy season.
About twenty miles to the westward of Pemambuco,
there is a small German Colony called Catuca ; it was
established about eighteen years before, at a period when
a German regiment, which had been in the service of the
Brazilian government, was here disbanded, but it is now
fast dwindling into decay. The few families residing there
gained a livelihood by the manufacture of charcoal, which
they carried to town for sale. Being desirous of spending
a day or two at this place, I started early one morning
in the beginning of November, accompanied by Mr.
White, a young gentleman whom I had previously met
on the Organ Mountains. We were guided by two
Germans who were returning from Pemambuco, and
their horses carried our luggage. Our route for about
two hours was through a flat country, principally planted
with Mandiocca, although a great part of it was still un-
cleared, only the large trees having been cut down : a
few of those remaining rose high above their fellows of the
wood, and agreeably diversified the landscape. After
passing through this cultivated country, and ascending a
slight eminence, we entered the virgin forest. Previously
the road had been of a sandy nature, but now we found
it to consist of hard red clay. Many of the trees were
very lofty, although they do not commonly attain the
stature of those in the Province of Rio, nor have their
trunks the same circumference. Among the shrubs that
grew below them, I observed a few Melastomacea, Myr-
tacets and Bubiacea, Here everything betokened a drier
&2 TRAVELS IN BEAZlL.
atmosphere, and a more arid soil than at Rio. There
were no Ferns, Begonias, Fipers, or Orchidaceous plants.
On the stems and branches of the larger trees a few Bro-
meliacea and Aroidea were alone to be seen. After
riding for about an hour through this forest, we reached
the cleared valley containing the cottages of the colonists,
several of which we passed before reaching the one in
which we remained. These cottages are generally of
small size, although much superior in cleanliness and
neatness of arrangement to those belonging to the same
class of Brazilians. At night we slung our hammocks
in a small apartment, and enjoyed a sound sleep till
morning,
My friend being desirous of having a few days shooting
in the woods with one of the Germans, I determined to
accompany them, in the hope of making some additions
to my Botanical stores. We set off early, entering the
wood about a mile from the cottage. Here, as in similar
situations near the town, I observed a great deficiency of
herbaceous vegetation, and in a walk of about two hours
only collected a few Ferns. In passing through this
wood, we saw an enormously large tree, a species of
Lecythis'y the ground beneath it was covered with its
curious pot-like capsules nearly as large as a man's head,
their resemblance to a pot being much increased by the
large Ud which falls off from the top of each when the
seeds within are ripe. Most of those we saw were empty,
the nuts having been taken out by the monkeys, who are
very fond of them. Leaving this wood, we suddenly
came upon another cleared valley, containing the ruins of
several cottages ; this, we were told, had been the first
BAHIA AND PERNAMBTJCO. 93
site of the settlement, but as the colonists were forbidden
to cut any more wood in that direction, they moved their
quarters to the place before mentioned. Near these dis-
mantled dwellings we found abundance of pine-apples,
and refreshed ourselves with some which were ripe,
sheltering ourselves from the sun under the shade of an
out-house which had formerly served as a place for the
preparation of Farinha from the Mandiocca root. Near
this place I found two beautiful trees, one of them a
species of VochysiUy covered with long spikes of bright
yellow flowers, and the other the splendid Moronobea
coccinea, literally covered with its globular crimson blos-
soms. In returning I collected specimens of a yellow-
flowered Palicourea, called Mata Rato, not, however, the
same plant which is known at Rio by the name of Erva
do Rato. It proves, notwithstanding, that poisonous
qualities are attributed to different plants of the same
genus in different parts of the country.
Close to the main land, and about thirty miles north
fit)mPemambuco, there is a small island called Itamarica,
which on account of its fine climate and soil, and the
abundance and superiority of the fruit produced there, is
designated the garden of Pemambuco. I was desirous
of visiting this place before leaving the Province, and
with this intention I started about the middle of Decem-
ber, and considered myself fortunate in having as a com-
panion Mr. Adamson, a young gentleman who had been
some years in the country, and fond of botanical pursuits.
To make the voyage, we had to hire a Jangada, one of the
raft-boats so common on this part of the coast ; it was
manned by a crew of three men. To a stranger it ap-
94 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
pears a very singular kind of craft, and had I not been
well assured that, primitive as their construction seems,
they are perfectly safe, I should have felt some hesitation
in embarking on one of them. Having got our luggage
properly placed on its elevated platform, so as to be out
of the reach of the water which continually washes over
these rafts, we commenced our voyage. The wind almost
constantly blows at that season from the N.E., and, con-
sequently, was nearly right against us, rendering it ne-
cessary to beat up between the reef and the shore ; the
intermediate distance varying from a quarter of a mile to
two miles, all the way from Recife to the island. By four
o'clock in the afternoon, finding that the unfavourable
wind had prevented our performing more than half the
voyage, we determined to land at a small fishing village
called Pao Amarello, and there pass the night. It was
not without some difficulty that we obtained a shelter
wherein we could sUng our hammocks; after meeting
with several refusals, the owner of a small public-house
(Venda) pointed out an empty hut made of cocoa-nut
leaves, and permitted us to take possession of it for the
night. Hither, therefore, we moved our luggage, and
after a supper of stewed fish and fannha, slept soundly till
day-break. After getting up, we took a walk a little way
into the country ; the soil we found to be sandy, and
the herbaceous vegetation completely scorched up by the
drought. At this place the reef is about a mile distant
from the shore, and is distinctly perceptible along its
whole Une, both at high and low water, for although the
ebb tide leaves the rocks quite bare, the surf marks its
position even at the highest flow. The wind having now
BAHIA AND PEKNAMBUCO. 95
shifted more to the eastward, we were enabled after break-
fast to proceed on our voyage, and as we made much
more rapid progress than on the preceding day, we reached
the ialand at noon, and landed on the eastern side of it at
Pilar, the principal town.
We carried with us two or three letters of introduction,
and the first we delivered obtained us quarters. The
name of our host was Alexandre Alcantara, the proprietor
of a large salt-work, of which there are several on the is-
land. His house, like nearly all the others we saw, was
of one story, the walls consisting of a frame work of wood,
the interstices of which were filled up with a kind of clay,
and the roof was covered with tiles ; there were four good
rooms in it, all floored with boards ; it was delightfully
situated near the sea, and surrounded by cocoa-nut trees.
In the afternoon we were taken by our host to see his
salt-works, which were estabUshed in a valley into which
the tide flows at high water. The water from which the
salt is made, is kept in lai^e reservoirs, whence it is
from time to time made to flow into pits where it is al-
lowed to evaporate. At this place, which is called Jagua-
libe, there are twenty-four distinct manufactories, belong-
ing to as many individuals. The place where the water
is evaporated is divided into small compartments measur-
ing sixteen feet by twelve. In that belonging to Senhor
Alcantara, there are one hundred and twenty such com-
partments ; into each of these, two inches of water is
allowed to flow from the large reservoir, and in eight days
this is completely evaporated. It yields him, altogether,
annually, about four himdred alqueires of salt, each
alqueire weighing eight arrobas, and each arroba thirty-
96 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
two pounds. Three qualities are produced, the best being
used for domestic purposes, a middle sort for curing of
fish, and an inferior kind used principally to salt hides.
On an average it brings about two and sixpence an al-
queire, so that his whole income from this source is only
about £50 a year. Besides the manufactories at this
place, there are others in different parts of the island.
The island which is separated from the main land by a
strait about half a league broad, is nearly three leagues in
length, and from one and a half to two in breadth. It
contains only two small villages, viz., Itamarica, situated
on a height near the sea, on the south-east side, containing
only about twenty houses ; and Pilar, the place at which
we landed, formed of a few irregular streets, and contain-
ing about eighty habitations. The whole number of
houses in the island, we were told, amounted to three
hundred, and the entire population to about two thousand.
Although there are many very comfortable looking dwel-
lings, yet the mass of the houses have a poor appearance,
being either formed of wicker-work and mud, or of cocoa-
nut leaves. As fishing is the principal occupation of the
inhabitants, their houses are generally near the shore.
The fish are mostly taken in pens (curaes) that are con-
structed of stakes a little beyond low water mark. Ano-
ther source of income to the inhabitants, is the cocoa-nut
trees, which form a dense deep belt round the upper part
of the island ; both the fish and nuts are taken to Pemam-
buco for sale. In the interior of the island there are three
sugar plantations ; and several of the more wealthy of the
inhabitants cultivate grapes and mangoes to a considerable
extent, bbth of which sell well in Pemambuco, bringing
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO. 97
a better price than those cultivated elsewhere in the pro-
vince. Good grapes I bought at tenpence a pound, but
they give the cultivator a great deal of trouble, as the
vines are sure to be attacked by a large brown ant, and
stripped of their leaves in a single night, unless care be
taken to have the lower part of the stem isolated by water.
The whole of the province of Pemambuco is much over-
run by these insects. During the time of our visit the
mangoes were just getting into season, and I found them
to be very much superior in flavour to any I had pre-
viously tasted ; they are much smaller than those culti-
vated near Pemambuco, and very much resemble peaches
in colour.
During the few days we remained on the island we
made many excursions through it in all directions ; in-
stead of the ahnost uniformly level character of the
country in the vicinity of Pemambuco, here there is a
gentle undulation of hill and dale. There is not much
iSrge timber, the wooded portions generally consist of
small trees and shmbs, which give to many parts of the
island an aspect more like that of an EngUsh orchard,
than an uncultivated equatorial region; some of the
views we obtained from the hills, if not grand, were at
least pleasing. Though there are both a priest and a
lawyer on the island, there is no medical man ; and as
soon as I was known to be one, my assistance was soli-
cited from all quarters. The first individual I was re-
quested to visit, was a man with a large abscess in the
neck, from the suppuration of the right submaxillary
gland; he could neither speak nor swallow, and his
relatives thought him on the point of death. I opened
u
98 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the abscess, which gave him instant relief, and next day
when I called, he was sitting up, and able to overwhelm
me with thanks for what he conceived to be a miraculous
cure. This case so established my reputation, that I
had more medical practice than I desired. Two of my
patients were in the last stage of consumption, but by
far the greater proportion of the cases resulted fix>m in-
termittent fever, chiefly arising from derangement of the
digestive organs, accompanied with enlargement of the
spleen. Consumption is rare in Brazil, during the whole
of my travels I did not meet with more than half a dozen
cases. As I would receive no fees, many presents of
fish, fowls, and fruit were sent me.
I have said that the chief occupation of the inhabitants
is fishing, and that the fish are nearly all taken in pens
(Currals). These enclosures are very common all along
the coast of Pemambuco, and are of the following shape.
They are made of strong stakes, driven firmly into the
ground at the distance of a few feet from each other, the
interstices between them being afterwards filled up by
small straight rods closely tied together. The straight
line of rods is sometimes nearly a quarter of a mile in
length, and runs out away from the shore; it answers
the purpose of guiding the fish into the enclosures at the
BAHIA AND P£RNAMBUCO. 99
far end of it. The day before we left the island, we
accompanied our host to visit the Curral belonging to
him, in order to witness the method of taking fish ; they
are only visited at low water. We went in a canoe to
the entrance of the innermost enclosure ; our host then
stripped himself, as did also another person who accom-
panied us, and entered the inner enclosure, taking with
them a small net a Uttle deeper than the water, vn^th a
short pole fixed to each end of it. One of the men then
fixed one of the poles perpendicularly close to one side
of the entrance to the enclosure, while the other began
to unfold the net, closing with it the entrance so as to
prevent the escape of the fish ; he then walked round by
the side of the enclosure till he reached the other person,
when the net was rolled up, thus enclosing in it all the
fish contained in the Curral, which amounted to about a
dozen very fine ones. We were informed that at this
season very few are taken, so few, indeed, that they are
scarcely sufficient for the consumption of the families to
whom the Currals belong ; in the rainy season, however,
they are taken so abundantly, that boat-loads of them
are sent to the Pemambuco market. We returned to
Recife in a large canoe.
h2
CHAPTER IV.
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO.
The Author's Motive for this Excursion — ^Voyage to the Southward —
Description of the Coast and Observations on the great Restinga —
Reaches Barra de S. Antonio Ghrande — ^Arrives at Maceio— Descrip-
tion of the Town and surrounding Country — ^Resolves to visit the
Rio S. Francisco — Embarks in a Jangada and coasts to the South-
ward— ^Batel — Lands at Peba — Journey thence to Fiassabassu on
the Rio San Francisco — ^Ascends the River to Penedo — ^The Town
Described — ^Productions of the District — Its population — ^Voyage
up the River — Mode of Navigation — Arrives at Propiha — ^Vegetation
of the Country — ^Description of a Market Fair — ^Dress of the People
— ^Voyage continued to Traipu — Passes the Hha dos Prazeres —
Barra de Panema — ^Abundance of Fish of the Salmon Tribe — ^Village
of Lagoa Funda — Island of S. Pedro — Its Indian Population des-
cribed— Continues the Voyage — ^Fearful Storm — ^Return to S. Pedro,
Serious Illness and detention there — Scarcity of Food — ^Renounces
in consequence all intention of proceeding further — ^Returns to Pe-
nedo—Scheme for Navigating the Rio San Francisco — ^Reason
why it will never succeed — ^Arrives again at Maceio— Visits Alagoas
— ^That City Described — ^Leaves Maceio— Coasting Voyage — Singu-
lar Mode of catching Fish — ^Return to Pemambuco.
The great object of my visit to the north of Brazil was
to make a journey from the coast to the high lands which
lie on the eastern side of the Rio Tocantins. This part
of the country, which I was strongly recommended to
visit by Von Martins, and others, on account of its bota-
ALAGOAS AND THE KIO SAN FRANCISCO. 101
nical riclies, is distant from Pemambuco about 1,200
miles, and nearly directly west from it. Although I was
desirous to begin this journey, I was advised by persons
well acquainted with the interior of the country not to
undertake it till towards the end of the rainy season,
on account of the difficulty of finding grass and water for
the horses after the period when everything has been
scorched up by the burning sun of the dry season. Nor
is the period of the rains less exceptionable for the under-
taking of a long journey, since, during the four months
which it generally lasts, there are scarcely two consecutive
dry days. It was now about the end of January, and as
the period of my entering upon my proposed expedition
would not be sooner than the end of June or beginning
of July, to pass the intervening time I determined to visit
Maceio, a small sea-port town in the province of Alagoas,
about half way between Pemambuco and Bahia; and
firom thence to make an excursion to the Rio San Fran-
cisco, and, if possible, up that river to the great falls of
Paulo Aflfonfo. As no other conveyance was to be had
for Maceio, I was obliged to take a passage in a large
canoe which was going down loaded with goods.
It was about three o'clock in the afternoon of the
thirtieth of January, 1838, before I could obtain my
passport, upon which I immediately embarked, and after
undergoing the necessary examination at a custom-house
boat, we got outside the reef, and ran down before the
north-east trade-wind till seven o'clock, p.m., when we
came to an anchor for the night in a small sandy bay
about foxu" leagues to the south of Pemambuco. During
the passage we several times ran foul of the stakes of
102 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
fishing pens which are common along the coast. I may
here describe the nature and appearance of the craft in
which I was embarked ; it was abont forty feet long
and three feet broad, being the trunk of a large tree
hollowed out ; a few feet at each end of it was decked
over, and the little cabins so formed were filled with
parcels and provisions; when empty they served as
sleeping berths for the crew, which consisted of the
master and two men. It had a single long slender mast to
which a triangular sail was fixed, the lower part of which
was stretched out by a long boom ; a Uttle below the
gunwale on each side were lashed two logs of Ught buoyant
wood, nearly as long as the canoe, of the same kind of
which jangadas are made ; while these enable her to
carry more cargo, they serve also to prevent her from
upsetting, and give a place to walk upon," as the cargo,
in our vessel, rose two feet above the body of the canoe.
It may well be imagined that there was but Uttle comfort
in such a conveyance, as I was obhged to sit constantly
upon one of my trunks, with no other shelter from the
sun and rain than that afforded by an umbrella. On
the shore close to where we anchored, two large fires
were burning, by the light of which we saw several
people and three or four huts. I was anxious to land
here, to obtain if possible a place to sleep on, but the
master said he would not venture to go on shore as he
was not on good terms with some of the inhabitants,
and did not choose to risk himself among them. After
supping, therefore, with the crew on oranges, farinha, and
boiled salt-fish, I wrapped myself in my poncho, and laid
down on my trunks, and slept, but certainly not com-
ALAGOAS AKB THE BIO SAN FRANCISCO. * 103
fortably, till morning. At dawn of day we again got
under way, and about eight a.m. passed Cape St. Angus-
tino, a rocky point, behind which the land rises from one
to two hundred feet above the level of the sea ; this is
eight leagues to the south of Pemambuco, the intervening
country being one continued flat. During the whole of
the day we ran down very dose to the shore, always
keeping between it and the reef. The country is of an
undulating hilly nature, wooded with small verdant trees
and shrubs, many of the latter covered with flowers.
The beauty of the coast, although a little monotonous,
was, notwithstanding, some recompense for a day of con-
tinued exposure to the sun. At eight o'clock in the
evening we again came to an anchor, at a place where
the master was well known; here we landed, and I
found that my quarters for the night were to be a smith's
work-shop ; next day, however, I ascertained that it was
the best house in the place, being formed of wicker-work
and mud, while the others were composed of stakes and
cocoa-nut leaves. The following morning the master of the
canoe took me to the house of a relation, about two miles
further along the shore, where we met with a kind recep*
tion. As some of the cargo of the canoe had to be landed
here, and more taken in, we remamed here all day, which
I did not regret, as it rained heavily till night ; on this
account I was prevented from making an excursion into
the country, although I did not perhaps lose much, as,
in one short walk, I found nearly the whole herbaceous
vegetation burnt up. The land here rises higher than at
any other place between Pemambuco and Maceio, the
faces of several low hiUs exhibiting a kind of coarse grained
104 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
sand-stone rock, exactly of the same nature as the reef
which runs for several hundred miles along the coast
both to the north and south of Pemambuco. This reef,
which is covered with small shells and coralloid substances,
Mr. Darwin supposes either to have been formed by a
bar of sand and pebbles formerly existing below the
water, which was first consolidated, and then elevated ;
or by a long spit of sand, running parallel to the coast,
having had its central part consolidated, and afterwards,
by a slight change in the set of currents, having the loose
matter removed, so as only to leave the hard nucleus.
Neither of these suppositions, I feel fully satisfied, account
for the origin of the reef, because, at the place where
we now were, I could trace, at low water, a rocky con-
nection between the reef and the rocks of which the hills
were composed. It is more probable that the reef owes
its origin to the decay of the rock between it and the
shore, but in what manner I will not attempt to explain.
This sandstone, as I will hereafter show, belongs to the
lower series of the chalk formation.
We slept at the house of the relation of the master of
the canoe, who was a tailor by trade, and an acknow-
ledged poet and wit : in the society of whom and his
family, consisting of several sons and daughters, the time
passed away most agreeably. Early in the morning of
the following day we again pursued our voyage, keeping,
as before, close along the shore, and at about two o'clock,
P.M., we arrived at Barra de S. Antonio Grande, a small
village about nine leagues to the north of Maceio, con-
sisting of about one hundred houses, the greater part of
which are made of cocoa-nut leaves, and are mostly
ALAGOAS AND THE EIO SAN FRANCISCO. 105
situated on a projecting point of flat land, bounded on
one sid6 by the sea, and on the other by a small river of
the same name as the village, both deriving their appel-
lation from a large bar of white sand which stretches
across the mouth of the river at some distance from the
shore. The inhabitants Uve principally by fishing, but I
was informed on my arrival at Maceio, that it is a place
much resorted to by slave vessels for the delivery of their
cargoes, and it. certainly appears to be well suited for
such a purpose.
In the afternoon I took a walk a httle way along the
banks of the river, but did not find much to interest me ;
like all other sandy parts along the coast, the vegetation
here consists of low shrubs mixed with a few small trees ;
Schinus terebinthifolim being by far the most common.
One of the most striking vegetable productions near the
village is a large wild fig-tree growing close to the river,
beneath the shade of which four large canoes, larger than
the one in which I arrived, were being constructed ; this
also forms a rendezvous for the gossips of the village,
who assemble there in the afternoon, beneath its wide-
spreading branches which reach nearly to the ground,
thus shading them from the sun. The leaves of the tree
are about six inches long and three broad, with fruit
about the size of a large gooseberry. In the evening I
strolled through the village, and found that nearly all the
inhabitants had turned out of their houses to enjoy the
beautiful moonlight and the delightfully cool evening
breeze ; many of them were squatted on the bare ground,
some were lounging on mats, while others were stretched
out on cocoa-nut leaves. In most of these groups, one
106 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
or more of the individuals, generally young men, were
amusing the others by playing lively airs on the guitar.
As the master of the canoe belonged to the village, I was
invited to sleep at his house, but as he could not afford
me a bed, I was obliged to repose on a hide in the comer
of a smaQ room ; scarcely, however, had I fallen asleep
when I was awoke by legions of hungiy bugs, that came
pouring out from the cracks in the mud walls ; unable
to endure this torment I got up, and taking the materials
which formed my bed outside the house, I shook them
well, and spreading them in the open air, I slept there
comfortably till morning. This was the only time during
the whole of my travels that I was annoyed to any extent
by this insect, which is not nearly so common, nor so
abundant as the flea.
Next day, Feb. 4th, we left Barra de San. Antonio
Grande about mid-day, and reached Maceio at five o'clock
in the evening. Shortly afterwards I delivered the letters
of introduction I had broi^ht with me firom Femambuco
to Mr. Burnet, the only British merchant in the place,
who kindly invited me to remain with him during my
stay. The town of Maceio is of considerable size, con-
taining about 5,000 inhabitants ; previous to the inde-
pendence of Brazil, when the Portuguese were expelled
by the Brazilians, the population amounted to upwards
of 7,000, and as these were the principal capitalists, the
trade of the place has declined considerably ever since.
The town itself stands on a platform about fifty or sixty
feet above the level of the sea, and distant from it about
a quarter of a mile ; but at a little more than a mile to
the north-east there is a small village called Jaragua,
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 107
close to the sea, where there are two wharfs for the
loading and unloading of goods, aad a custom-house.
The bay of Maceio is of considerable size, forming a kind
of semicircle, and affording good anchorage for shipping.
Ponnerly much cotton and sugar were shipped firom this
port in British bottoms, but now scarcely more than two
or three EngUsh vessels visit it in the course of the year,
the greater part of this produce being sent either to Bahia
or Pemambuco. The country round Maceio is not so
monotonous and flat as that around Pemambuco ; low
undulating ridges of hiUs reaching close to the sea, covered
with a vegetation of low trees and shrubs. During several
walks which I took in the vicinity, in company with a
young Scotchman who had been sometime resident there
as a medical practitioner, I made many additions to my
botanical collections, particularly on a flat sandy tract to
the north-east of the town. Among these I may mention
a fine Diospyros, a curious Eriocatclon, Marcetia taxifoliay
an Eschweilera different from that found at Pemambuco,
and a Melocadus. Maceio is considered more unhealthy
than Pemambuco or Bahia, ague being of very frequent
occurrence, particularly at the beginning of the rainy
season.
The Rio San Francisco being only thirty-two leagues
to the southward of Maceio, and learning that it was
navigable without interraption for upwards of a hundred
mil^, I resolved to visit it. A Portuguese gentleman,
Jowever, to whom I was directed for information on the
subject, having, a few years before, made the voyage up
to the great falls (Cachoeira de Paulo Affon^o), informed
me that as it was then the season at which the river rises
108 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
to its greatest height, the head waters being far to the
south, he would not advise me to undertake the voyage,
in consequence of the dangerous navigation at the period
of the floods, as well as from the little chance there would
be of my adding much to my collection, from the dried up
state in which I should find the vegetation, owing to the
long continued drought. Still I determined to go, as
nothing better presented itself to pass the time, and
hitherto, moreover, I had always found the difficulties of
travelling much less than they were represented to be.
I considered myself fortunate in being able to hire, as a
servant, the black who accompanied the gentleman above
alluded to.
Having made the necessary preparations for the voyage,
I engaged a jangada to take me along the coast to the
mouth of the river, and left Maceio at five o'clock, a.m.,
on the morning of the 15th of February. I intended to
have left at eleven o'clock the night before, at the rising
of the moon, but when I reached the beach with my
luggage, the owner of the jangada was no where to be
found, although he had faithfully promised to be waiting
for me. I immediately sent Pedro, my black servant, in
search of him, who soon afterwards retiuned unsuccessful ;
and I had no resource but to walk backwards and for-
wards on the beach till shortly before five o'clock in the
morning, when he made his appearance. On questioning
him about his absence, he told me with the greatest
coolness, that as I did not arrive exactly when the moon
rose, he thought I should not come till morning, and
that, in order to pass the time, he had gone out to fish.
Having at length embarked, we soon lost sight of Maceio
AI.AGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 109
under the influence of a strong north-east wind, and,
coasting along a flat shrubby shore, we arrived at night
at the mouth of a small river, on the south bank of which,
about a mile up, there is a little village caQed Batel. At
this place, which is twenty leagues distant from Maceio,
we remained for the night. I preferred sleeping in the
jangada to one of the small cocoa-nut-leaf cottages that
was offered to me, but I had reason to repent of having
done so. It was full tide when we arrived at the village,
and the jangada was brought close to the shore, so that
when the tide ebbed it was left diy. I did not then-
recoUect that^ muddy shores covered with mangroves,
particularly at the mouths of rivers, abound with mos-
quitos, but I was soon reminded of the fact by being
awoke about midnight with my face and hands smarting
and swoUen from the bites of those annoying insects. As
I slept in my clothes without any covering, I was obliged
to shield my face with my pocket handkerchief, and
thrust my hands into my pockets. Althoi^h I was thus
in some measure protected from their bites, it was long be-
fore I could again fall asleep, from the continued humming
noise, almost as loud as that of bees, which they were
making around me. When I got up at day-break, after
a restless night, I found that besides the mosquitos, I
was surrounded by thousands of a small black sand-fly
{Merohy)y not much larger than a gram of fine gun-
powder, but whose bites are no less irritating than those
of their larger congeners. The morning tide, we found,
did not rise so high as it did on the previous evening,
and it was with some difficulty that the jangada was
floated into deep water, which was not effected till nearly
110 TKAVELS IN BEAZIL.
nine o'clock, a.m. In crossing the bar at the mouth of
the river, we had to pass through a Hne of small breakers,
three of which swept right over the elevated platform on
which I was sitting, and drenched me to the skin, thereby
rendering the remainder of the voyage, seven leagues,
very uncomfortable. It was one o'clock, p.m., when we
reached a little village called Peba, which is situated on
the coast, about five leagues to the north of the mouth of
the Rio San Francisco : this was the termination of my
sea-voyage, as the heavy surf which breaks over the
shallow bar of that river will not allow jaugadas to enter
it. The village is situated a little way inland, and is
hidden from the sea by a high embankment of sand,
which at this place is very much drifted by the wind ;
it is, however, recognised at a considerable distance,
from the number of tall cocoa-nut trees which grow near
the shore. I was here particularly struck with a fact
which goes a great way to explain the phenomenon oi
the stem of a fossil tree being found passing through
several strata of sandstone rock. Many of the cocoa-nut
trees have their stems embedded, to the depth of fifty feet
and upwards, in the embankment of sand which stretches
along the shore, and in many places is several hundred
feet broad; some of them, indeed, are so deeply em-
bedded, that the nuts can be gathered without climbing
the tree. Now as this sand has accumulated at different
periods, particularly during the prevalence of the north-
east trade-wind, it must present, if ever it becomes hard*
ened, a vast number of irregularly horizontal beds, through
which the stems of the palms vrill be found to pass.
From a fisherman, whom I met on the shore, I obtained
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. Ill
pennission to occupy an empty hut till the following day.
While seated on an old trunk of a tree, which was lying
on the beach about high-water mark, I observed that
along the shore here, as well as all along the coast, crabs
of various sizes abounded ; and, as I had to wait for some
time tin my luggage was landed and carried to the hut,
I amused myself by watching the operations of a small
species, belonging to the genus Gelasimm, that was either
making or enlarging its burrow in the sand. About once
in every two minutes it came up to the surface with a
quantity of sand enclosed in its left claw, which, by a
sudden jerk, it ejected to the distance of about six inches,
always taking care to vary the direction in which it was
thrown, so as to prevent its accumulation in one place.
Having a few small shells belonging to a species of liirbo,
in one of my jacket pockets, I endeavoured to throw one
of ^these into its hole, in order to see whether it would
bring it up again or not ; of the four that were thus
thrown, one only entered the hole, the others remaining
within a few inches of it. It was about five minutes
before the animal again made its appearance, bringing
with it the shell which had gone down, and carrying it
to the distance of about a foot from its burrow, it there
deposited it. Seeing the others lyiag near the mouth of
the hole, it immediately carried them, one by one, to the
place where the first had been laid down, and then re-
turned to its former labour of carrying up sand. It was
impossible not to conclude that the actions of this little
creature, which holds so low a station in the chain of
beings, were the result of reason, rather than of blind
instinct by which the actions of the inferior animals are
112 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
generally thought to be guided, for man himself, under
the same circumstances, could not have acted with more
judgment.
On the day following our arrival at Feba,*I made
arrangements with the owner of an ox-cart to take me
with my luggage to Fiassabassu, a little village situated
on the north bank of the Rio San Francisco, and about
two leagues distant from its mouth. He promised to
come early in the forenoon, but, much to my annoyance,
did not make his appearance till five o'clock in the after-
noon, shortly after which we started. We kept along
the sandy shore for about two miles, then went a little
inland and continued our route in a direction nearly
parallel to the shore, through a flat, sandy, bushy country,
in which Mouriria Guianends, Aubl., and several species
of LauracetBy were very abundant. It was indeed dark
during the greater part of the journey, but on my return
I had ample opportunity of observing the nature of the
vegetation. I was not at all sorry, after we had once
started, that we had been thus delayed, as travelling in
this country is far more pleasant in the evening than
during the heat of the day. Our cart was of a very pri-
mitive construction, similar to that seen ever3rwhere in
the interior of Brazil, and little different from that used
by the Romans. It consisted of a rude frame, supported
on two wheels about five feet in diameter, constructed of
solid plank; and was drawn by six oxen, yoked in
pairs, goaded on by two drivers, each carrying a slender
pole about ten feet long. One of the drivers goes before
to lead the way, while the other urges on the oxen with
his long pole. The axles are never greased, and the
ALAGOAS AND THE EIO SAN FRANCISCO. 113
creaking noise they continually make, which we heard at
a great distance, is most disagreeable ; the reason given
for not greasing them is that the cattle are so accustomed
to the noise that they would not go on without it. It
was ten o'clock at night when we arrived at the end of
our journey, and as there was no place where a stranger
could put up, and being without introduction to any resi-
dent in the village, I was taken by our conductor to the
house of one of his acquaintances, where the only accom-
modation to be obtained was in a small and very dirty
apartment in the hut, which did not much signify, as I
slept in my own hanmaock.
Piassabassu is a small village, where the greater part
of the houses surround a large square with a church in its
centre, these are nearly all of one story, and, being white-
washied on the outside, they present a cleanly appearance.
Many of those situated nearest to the river, were aban-
doned on account of its flooded state, being then higher
than it had been since the year 1793, when the inunda-
tion reached to a still greater height. On the morning
after our arrival at this place I hired a canoe to convey
me to the Villa do Penedo, seven leagues further up the
river. We started at eleven o'clock, a.m., but the ciurent
was so strong that the canoe was obliged to keep close
along shore to be able to make way against it ; a small
sail, by which we were propelled, was often barely suffi-
cient to keep us from being carried downwards ; at such
times our two men were forced to use their paddles. At
Piassabassu the river is about two leagues broad, but the
opposite side cannot be seen on account of a large island
which stands in the middle of the stream ; it was only
114 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
after we had proceeded upwards about half a league, that
I first saw the whole breadth of this magnificent river.
The country, for about three leagues, is flat on both sides,
which the present flood had inundated to a considerable
extent. We passed large fields of sugar-cane, where
nothing was to be seen but the tops of the leaves, which,
waving in the stream, gave them the appearance of ver-
dant meadows ; where trees existed, nothing but their
upper branches were visible, and almost every house that
we passed had only its roof appearing above the water.
The river begins to rise in the month of October, which
is the commencement of the rainy season in the southern
provinces, the sources of its origin, and continues to do so
until the end of March. At about five leagues firom the
coast, the country, on the south side of the river, sUghtly
rises, and from thence to Fenedo it is of an undulating
character, but the opposite side still continues flat. After
pursuing our course upward about two leagues on the
north, we crossed over to the southern bank, in order to
obtain advantage of the breeze. A few sugar plantations
exist on both sides, but the vacancies in the forests made
by the cultivated spots are scarcely apparent. By the
force of the stream, particularly in certain turns of the
river, the banks were greatly encroached upon by a con-
tinual process of undermining, and we saw great masses
of earth falling in, the trees which grew thereon being
floated down by the current. We did not come in sight
of Penedo till within a league of it, when, turning round
a high rocky wooded point on the south side, the white
houses were seen brightly lighted up by the rays of the
sun, which was then just setting nearly opposite to the
ALA60A8 AND THE RIO SAN FRANCI8C0. 115
town. Shortly afterwards we distinguished Villa Nova,
a smalltown situated about half a league below Penedo,
but on the south side of the river. As the Eio San
Francisco divides the provinces of Alagoas from that of
Sei^pe, it will be seen that the Villa do Penedo is in the
former, while Villa Nova is in the latter.
It was too late when we landed, to deliver the letters
of introduction which I brought from Maceio, and, as the
boatmen would not remain till morning, I sent my man
Pedro to look out for a house in which I might lodge for
the night. After being away for more than an hour he
returned, and told me that he had much difficulty in
finding one, owing to almost every house being crowded
by the many families driven out of their homes by the
flooded state of the river. I should have preferred an
empty house, but as this was not attainable, I caused my
luggage to be taken up to the only one Pedro could pro-
cure, which I found belonged to a young girl, who lived
alone in it, following a profession which is not considered
so disreputable in Brazil as in most other countries. In
a small apartment of this house we therefore passed the
night, in our hammocks, which were slung from one side
of the room to the other. During the voyage up the
river I saw several large reeds in flower, and great plenty
of a large yellow-flowered Jumaa. A little way below
Penedo, Machaonia tpinoaa grew abundantly, forming a
good sized spiny shrub, having large panicles of small
white flowers, called by the Brazilians, Espinha branea :
of this I collected specimens, as well as of a species of
Owypetaium, bearing large imibels of sweet smelling
flowers, not unlike those of Hoya carnosa,
I 2
IIG TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
On the following morning I delivered the letters of
recommendation I had with me from Maceio. One of
these was to the chief magistrate of the district (the Juiz
de Direito),Dr.Manoel Bernardino de Souza de Figueiredo,
by whom I was most cordially received, and invited to
reside with him till an opportunity occurred for proceeding
further up the river. 1 returned immediately to my
lodging in quest of my luggage, but before this could be
dispatched the Juiz returned my visit, and, on discovering
my poor quarters, he expressed much regret that I had not
proceeded directly to his house on my arrival. One of the
greatest inconveniences that a traveller meets with in Brazil,
is the difficulty of finding accommodation, for in none of
the towns or villages throughout this vast empire, does there
exist an inn of any kind except in the principalities of Rio
de Janeiro, Bahia, and one or two others in the mining dis-
tricts, and even these are kept by foreigners. It will be
long before such conveniences come into general use, for the
Brazihans when they travel, always carry with them their
own servants, provisions, cooking apparatus, and beds; and
it seldom happens that an empty house of some description
or other is not to be had in any village during their jour-
ney : should they fail to do so, during the dry season
they content themselves by encamping under some large
trees, slinging their hammocks from one branch to another.
It was in this manner that I afterwards was forced to
travel, often being for months together without sleeping
imder a roof. The Brazilians are particularly attentive
to any stranger recommended to them, and, during the
whole of my wanderings, I seldom went from one place
to another without letters, nor do I remember a single
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 117
instance in which I was not courteously received by those
to whom they were addressed.
The Villa do Penedo, so called because it is situated
upon an elevated rocky point, on the north bank of the
river, is about thirty miles fix)m its mouth. The rock
on which it stands is a fine-grained yellowish-coloured
sandstone, the strata of which inchne from east to west.
The streets are irregular but the houses are very substan-
tial, the principal ones being of two stories, and are for
the most part built of the same stone as that on which
the town stands. It contains about 4,000 inhabitants,
the greater part of whom are very poor. There are no
less than six large and substantially built churches, to
one of which is attached a convent of Franciscan Friars,
called Nossa Senhora da Corrente, but it only contains
three brethren. In the Comarco, or district of Penedo,
sugar and cotton are the principal articles cultivated, the
greater part of these plantations being situated on the
margin of the river, below the town. Mandiocca, french-
beans, and rice are raised in suJHScient quantities but only
for consumption. Formerly, cattle were reared to some
extent in the more inland parts of the district, but this
source of production has failed in consequence of the
occasionally excessive drought, and also because of the
abundance of a tick {Carrapatd), which sometimes
proves so great a plague that a farmer loses his whole
stock in a single season. During the Portuguese
dynasty, Penedo was a flourishing place, but is now
rapidly falling into decay. The following census of the
whole Comarco, which was taken in the year 1837, I
owe to the kindness of the Juiz de Direito, and I consider
118 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
it worthy of being quoted, to show the proportion which
the different races bear to each other in this part of the
country.
Whites 22,045.
Free Mulatos 32,694.
Mulato Slaves 4,531.
Free Blacks 10,113.
Black Slaves 10,876.
Native Indians 2,331.
In aU 82,590.
Three days after my arrival at Penedo, we heard that
an empty canoe was going up as far as the river was
navigable, and accordingly I engaged a passage for a
smaU sum. Having made all the requisite preparations
for my voyage, I left Penedo at one o'clock, p.m., on the
22nd of Februaiy, carrying with me letters to some of
the principal inhabitants of the different places at which
we were likely to stop. The canoe in which we embarked
was a very large one, being about forty feet long and
four broad. It is seldom that a single tree is of suffi-
cient dimensions to form a canoe of this size, but when
such is not the case, they hollow out the largest they can
find, sawing it in two through the middle from stem to
stem, and then give it the requisite breadth by the addi-
tion of one or more widths of plank between the two
halves ; in this same manner our canoe was constructed.
One end of the bow, for the length of ten feet, was
thatched over with cocoa-nut leaves like the roof of a
house, which thus served both as a place of shelter fix)m
ALAOOAS AND THE BIO SAN FRANCISCO. 119
the Sim during the day, and as a sleeping berth by night.
It had only one mast, which carried two large triangular
sails of a veiy coarse cotton cloth> manufactured in the
country, and these were stretched out on each side by a
long boom. The sea-breeze generally reaches Penedo
about mid-day, blowing right up the river, and, with the
sails spread out in this wing-like fashion, we went up the
stream with great rapidity, notwithstanding that the
current against us was very strong. Ab it is dangerous
for small canoes to navigate the river when it is flooded,
two of them are lashed side by side, and thus united,
they form what is called an Ajojo. At six o'clock in the
evening we reached the village of Propia, situated on the
south side of the river, and seven leagues distant from
PenSdo. it contains about 250 houses, mostly small,
and built of wicker work and mud ; many of those in
the street parallel with the river were half full of water,
and consequently abandoned; such, also, we observed
to be the case with many houses which we passed during
our voyage.
The most striking objects of vegetation which I ob-
served on the banks of the river, were many trees of
considerable size, belonging to the natural order Legumir
nasiB, bearing large spikes of light purple flowers ; abun-
dance of a curious kind of Caciuay reaching to the height
of from twenty to thirty feet, the great fleshy and naked
arms of which, stand out like the branches of an enormous
chandelier. A most striking difference was to be observed
between the verdure of that part of the country which,
for upwards of four months, had been under water, and
the more elevated parts, on which no rain had fallen for
120 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
nearly six months. The latter had more the appearance
of the deciduous woods of Europe in winter, than such as
grow within the tropics are generally supposed to present.
It was only here and there, that a tree was to be seen
covered with leaves, all the others having lost their foliage,
owing to the excessive and long continued drought. In
sailing up the river, the prospect would have been dreary,
had it not been for the broad belt of arboreous vegetation
that clothed its margins. The country between Penedo
and Propia is of a low hilly character, but about two
leagues above the former place, a rather high ridge of
moimtains is seen on the north side, about eight leagues
from the river, called the Serra de Priaca; and about
four leagues further up, a high conical mountain called
the Serra de Maraba is seen, rising from the surrounding
flat country like a pyramid, in a N.N.W. direction, about
six leagues distant. A market, or fair, is held at this
village every Saturday, and as the owner of the canoe
wished to make some purchases for his return cargo, I
was detained here two days. On the morning after our
arrival, I wjlked a little way into the country behind the
town, but found the vegetation so completely scorched
up, that not a green thing was to be seen. I then di-
rected my steps to the bank of the river, and collected
specimens of two species of Caacdpinia, which were beau-
tifully in flower, as well as a low shrubby species of Cro-
ton, which is very common, its wood, when broken,
having a fragrant smell not unlike that of a Calycantkus.
The preparations for the fair created some bustle, as
during the whole of the previous day, particularly towards
evening, cajioes continued to arrive from all quarters with
ALAGOAS AND THE BIO SAN FRANCISCO. 121
articles for sale ; and from the inland part of the country
numbers of horses came into the village laden with mer-
chandize. As I slept in the canoe, which was moored
amidst a number of others, I was awoke early on the
morning of the fair, by the noise of a motley multitude of
men, women, and children of all colours, from the deep
black African, to the scarcely white inhabitants of Brazil.
The place wher^ the market is usually held being then
under water, the crowd had assembled on an elevated
part of the river bank toward the west end of the town,
opposite to which all the canoes were made fast alongside
each other. As soon as I was dressed, I took a walk
through the crowd to observe the kind of goods exposed
for sale, and as might bq expected I found them ex-
tremely various, consisting, principally, of articles of food
and dress. Among others of inferior note may be parti-
cularized the following as being the most abundant : —
Farinha de Mandiocca, dried beef, large fish, mostly stur-
geon, fit)m the river, dried in the sun, sugar in large
loaves shaped Uke cheeses, or in smaller ones in the form
of bricks, molasses in large leathern bottles, fresh beef,
bananas, soap, shoes, English cotton cloth and prints,
ropes made from the fibre of native plants, tobacco, planks
and posts for house-building, earthen-ware, cooking uten-
sils, and water pitchers, brought by the Indians, leather,
hides, rum, &c.
The great variety in the style of dress adopted by these
people, is the first thing to strike the eye of a stranger.
The better classes wear either Ught jackets and trowsers,
or shirt and trowsers only, over which they put a long
dressing-gown of printed cotton, to which is added during
122 TEAVSLS IN BRAZIL.
the cool of the morning and evening, a cloak of Scotch
tartan. They seldom wear stockings, but have their bare
feet thrust into a pair of brown leather slippers. The
country people generally wear a broad brimmed hat made
of leather, and sometimes a leathern jacket; but most com-
monly their only covering consists of a pair of thin cotton
drawers, which reach a Uttle below the knee, and a shirt
of the same stuff hanging loose outside of them. The
negroes usually dress in the same manner as the whites,
but the women have much more taste than the men,
many of whom appear Uterallyin rags, though apparently as
happy in this attire, as if they were of the best description.
I observed here more of the aboriginal inhabitants of
Brazil, than I had ever seen at one time before ; many of
them bore evident signs of having a mixture of white, and
others of black blood in their veins, but not in sufficient
quantity to destroy the peculiar obUquity of the eyes, and
the lank black hair of the American race.
It was about three o'clock in the afternoon before we
could leave Propia, and at eight we arrived at Traipu,
another small village situated on the north bank of the
river, about seven leagues further up. At half a league
from Propia we passed a small village called CoUegio, and
at a further distance of two leagues and a half a still
smaller one, called San Bras, both situated on the north
side of the stream. As far as the latter village, the ap-
pearance of the country on both sides of the river bears
much the same appearance as that above Penedo, but at
a distance of a about a league above San Bras, it becomes
much higher, the undulating ridges of hills reaching close
to the water in many places, thus diminishing the breadth
ALAOOA8 AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 128
of the stream, and, consequently, increasing the rapidity
of the current. The highest part of the country is a hill
opposite Traipu, the termination of a range called the Serra
de Tabanga. The effects of the drought on the vegetation
was still greater here than farther down ; as far as the
^e could reach, nothing like a forest was to be seen, both
the hills and valleys being thinly covered with small trees
and shrubs, and aU, with a few soUtary exceptions, de-
nuded of their foUage. On the surface of the ground
itself there was no herbaceous vegetation, the red coloured
soil alone being seen through the withered bushes. Here
and there along the banks a few houses exist, but none
were to be observed inland. The only objects that
reUeved the eye in this desert-like region, were the green
bushes which grew along the inundated banks, and the
grotesque Cacti abounding in dry rocky places. These
latter are the most conspicuous objects that meet the eye
of a voyager ; some of their trunks are of immense thick-
ness, and their branching tops reach to a great height
above the surrounding vegetation. These are certainly
the most remarkable looking plants of the many which
clothe the surface of our globe, their huge fleshy branches
seeming more the work of art than of nature. It is only
plants such as these, that are able to retain their verdure
during the long droughts to which the country here is
subjected. On the rocky places where these grow, there
are also many Bromeliaceous plants, which in spite of the
want of rain, not only grow luxuriantly, bux produce their
large red clusters of flowers in the greatest perfection. The
rocks on which these plants vegetate are of gneiss, in
thin layers of a dark colour, full of small garnets, and
124 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
cropping out at a very obtuse angle towards the south.
We remained for the night at Traipu, and at nine o'clock
next morning resumed our voyage, but as the wind was
very high, we could make no way against the current ; at
about half a league fipom the place of our departure we
were obliged to halt for some hours on the north bank of
the river. This afforded me an opportunity of landing,
when I made a few additions to my collections. Among
these was a species of Azolluy which existed in the greatest
abundance, in a flat muddy place that was shghtly
flooded. Here also I met with some of the largest Cacti
I have ever seen ; one in particular was of enormous size,
the stem measuring upwards of three feet in circum-
ference, and unbranched to the height of about ten feet ;
its entire height could not be less than between thirty
and forty feet. This and other large kinds of Cactus are
called by the inhabitants of this part of the country
Sheeke-sheeke, and their fleshy stems and branches, after
being stript of their back and spines, are roasted and
eaten in times of scarcity ; under similar circumstances
they are given raw to cattle. A little below this place on
the south side of the river, we passed an old Gold-working,
situated on the side of a low hill through which a small
ravine passes. It seemed to have been a long time since
it had been worked, as the heaps of soil which had been
thrown out, were covered with the low shrubby vegetation
peculiar to the district. Continuing our voyage, towards
sunset we came in sight of a small island, of considerable
elevation, in the middle of the stream, called the Ilha dos
Prazeres, on the top of which there is a church of the
same name. Opposite this island, on the north side, we
ALA60AS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 125
passed the mouth of a small river, called the Rio de
Panema, which takes its rise in the Sertao of the province
of Alagoas. On the upper side of the mouth of this
river there is a little hamlet, consisting only of a few
houses, called Barra de Panema. A little fiui;her up we
crossed over to the south side, to land an old negro who
had accompanied us from Propia, and it was with much
regret that we were obliged to come to an anchor for the
night a little way above this place, for the river here takes
a turn to the northward, and although there was a strong
breeze, we could not succeed in getting our canoe into a
position to enable us to avail ourselves of the favourable
wind, notwithstanding the best efforts of our crew, which
consisted of three men, assisted by myself and servant ;
an exposure of our vessel to a side wind would have up-
set her, and she was too unmanageable to attempt rowing.
On the following morning, before breakfast, I took a
walk to a high ridge of gneiss rocks, which is at a little
distance from the river, and found a variety of different
kinds of Cacti, One of these was a great Melocacttta
much larger than the one which is so common near Per-
nambuco ; it grows in fissures of the rock where scarcely
any soil exists, and its tough roots penetrate to such a
depth, that they can with difficulty be withdrawn; living
specimens of this {Melocadus Hookerianm, Gardn.) which
I sent home, now exist in the collections at Kew and
Glasgow. While lying in the canoe, waiting for the
breeze, I heard a splashing noise in the water as of heavy
rain, but on looking over the side, I found it to be pro-
duced by hundreds of small fish ; so abundant were they,
that having no hook, I had recourse to a bent pin fixed to
126 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the end of a thread, and thus in a few minutes I caught
above thirty of them. I found them to belong to the
tribe Salmonida, of which they form a very diminutive
species, measuring from two to three inches in length,
and from an inch to an inch and a half in depth ; they
are called by the Indians Piaba ; the two lower thirds of
their depth is of a silvery-white, while the upper third is
of a pale lead colour, being in general appearance not
much unlike a herring in miniature ; they are extremely
voracious and abundant, especially in shallow water,
where they are caught in numbers by children; they
make an excellent dish when stewed. From a young man
who was fishing in a shallow part of the river with a hand-
net, I obtained a few other kinds of fish, and among them
one which is very much dreaded by the inhabitants of the
banks of nearly all the lakes and rivers in the northern
provinces ; it is called Piranha by the Brazilians, and is
also one of the Salmonida, belonging to the genus Sera-
salmo. It is commonly about a foot in length, but some-
times is as much as two feet long, being very much com-
pressed laterally, and very deep ; the back is of a dark
brownish colour, and the belly yellowish white, both being
thinly marked with reddish spots ; the lower jaw pro-
jects a little beyond the upper, and both are armed with
about fourteen flattish triangular shaped teeth, upwards
of a quarter of an inch in length, and very short. It is
most voracious, and is consequently caught without dif-
ficulty. Many people are often severely injured by them
whilst bathing, and I have repeatedly been shown the
scars left by their bites. It is said that ducks frequently
lose their legs, in consequence of their voracity, and it is
ALAQOAS AND THS RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 127
even asserted that where they abound, cattle have been
known to perish from their attacks, when going into the
water to cool themselves, or to drink.
We resmned our voyage again about eleven o'clock in
the morning, and at one reached Lagoa Funda, a small
village on the north side of the river, the distance being
about two leagues. It contains but a very few houses,
and takes its name from a large deep lake which runs
westward from it, in a direction parallel with the river.
During this voyage we came in sight of a range of moun-
tains called the SerradeFaodeassucar, bearing N. N. W.
of us ; it terminates abruptly towards the W. S. W., and
slopes gradually thence to the E. N. E. and is by far the
highest range in the district. The country around us was
now beginning to assume a verdant appearance, several
showers of rain having lately faUen. Shortly after our
arrival at this place, owing to the loss of the wind, we
were obliged to remain till five o'clock in the afternoon,
when the sea breeze reached us, we again started, and
were enabled by half past six o'clock to reach another
small village called San Pedro. This is situated on an
island of the same name, which is about half a league long
by a quarter of a league broad, being flat, with a sandy
soil ; the upper end where the village stands, is open,
while the opposite extremity is densely wooded with bushes
and small trees.
I passed the night in the canoe, but could get little
deep owing to the mosquitos which were very abundant.
Early in the morning I took a walk over the island, and
gathered a few plants ; during the day the heat was most
intolerable, the thermometer in the shade about noon, in-
128 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
dicating 99^°, and as there was not the slightest breath
of Mdnd, the oppressive sensation amounted abnost to suf-
focation, the air feeling as if it came from the mouth of
an oven. Not a soul was to be seen out of doors, and
the few goats and pigs on the island, as well as the dogs^
sought the shade of a few trees of Zizyphm which grow
by the side of the river near the village. Everything was
as still as midnight, the songs of the small birds which I
had listened to with delight during my morning's walk,
and the loud shrill cry of the Gavata, a large water bird,
as well as the monotonous one of the Bem-te-ve, were
now no longer heard, even the trees were motionless, and
the mighty mass of yellow water in the river rolled slowly
down unruflBied by a breeze ; all was indeed so still, that
one could scarcely help thinking that life had ceased to
exist. Having slung my hammock under a Zizyphus
tree, I remained in it till the rays of the sun became less
powerful. It was six o'clock in the evening before the
sea breeze reached the island, and it being then too late
to proceed on our voyage, we remained where we were
for the night. The sun had no sooner set, and the breeze
become more fresh, than the greater number of the inha-
bitants left their houses, and seated themselves either at
their doors, or by the side of the river, to enjoy the deli-
cious coolness of the evening air ; of course I followed
their example, and it was near midnight before I retired
to rest.
The number of famiUes on the island amount to about
forty, and are for the most part civilized Indians. On
the evening of our arrival I was presented to their captain,
an old man dressed in a leather hat, a pair of coarse cot-
ALAOOAS AND THE RIO SAN FKANCISCO. 129
ton drawers, a shirt of the same material, and a pair of
leather sandals on his feet, who was sitting under a Zizy-
phus tree repairing a fishing net. From him I learned
that the Indians on the island are decreasing gradually in
number, and he sighed when he told me that the day was
not far distant when his race would become extinct, or at
least be amalgamated with the other inhabitants. Those
who still remain unmixed, are short in stature and of a
stout make ; in disposition they appeared gentle and ob-
liging. I observed a church in the village, but during
my visit the priest was absent on the main land.
On the morning of the twenty-eighth, the second since
our arrival, I agaiu took a walk over the island, and in
the centre of it found a large tract covered with a very
prickly species of Opuntia, covered with the Cochineal
insect. I also collected several species of Viscum and Zo-
ranthus, grovnng on the branches of Mimosa and Zizy-
phus trees ; while the sandy shores of the south side of
the island yielded me abundance of Ehrenhergia tribuloi'
deSy Mart., and a Lupin-like kind of Zornia. The morning
was comparatively cool, but the day was calm and sultry,
the thermometer standing at 96^ in the shade. As it was
again six o'clock in the evening before the breeze set in,
we were once more detained. The setting in of the breeze
was accompanied with a curious appearance in the atmos-
phere ; the sun was setting in the west with a fiery red-
ness, surrounded by a mass of red coloured clouds, while
from the eastward was seen approaching an immense body
of vapour; this from the distance at which it was seen had
more the appearance of smoke issuing from some great
conflagration. This body came slowly on before the wind
K
130 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
till at last it reached us, and we could see the small vesi-
cles of which it was composed rolling past. The wind
for about five minutes was so hot that every one was glad
to take shelter from it, but it soon acquired its usual re-
freshing coolness. On enquiring of the old captain
whether such a phenomenon was often observed, he told
me that it was of frequent occurrence at the beginning of
the rainy season, and added, .that long experience had
taught him it was always the forerunner of a great storm,
{Aum temporal.)
On the following day, the first of March, we left the
island, about half past five o'clock in the evening, and had
not been gone an hour before the sky towards the N. E.
became darkened with a mass of black clouds, the sure
harbinger of a coming storm. We were then nearly in
the middle of the river which was about a league broad ;
and as the storm was approaching with great rapidity,
the master of the canoe gave instant orders to run her in
to the north shore, but before we had half reached the
distance, we were overtaken by a gust of wind which laid
her nearly on her broadside. A considerable quantity of
water was shipped, and the crew lost all command of
themselves, one crying to do this, and another that, with-
out anything being done. The lower part of the sail on
the lee side was in the water keeping the edge of the
canoe down, and had it not been for my exertions and
my man Pedro's assistance, in seizing hold of the rope by
which the extreme point of the long boom is drawn up to
the mast head, and thus rising it out of the water, the
canoe, to a certainty, would have filled, and we should all
have been inevitably drowned. Still we were at some
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 131
distance firom the river bank, and the storm was setting
in with all its fury, the waves were dashing over the
weather gunnel, while the lee side was taking in great
quantities of water. In the mean time the sails had been
stowed away, and seeing the danger of keeping her broad-
side any longer to the wind, the master gave orders to
run her over to the other side of the river before the wind.
We thus steered in an oblique direction nearly three miles
before we reached the south side, and during this fearful
interval the wind, the rain, thunder and lightning, were
such as I had never before been exposed to. It was now
quite dark, but the vivid flashes both of forked and sheet
lightning gave a light, from time to time, as brilliant
nearly as noon-day. The canoe ran aground among some
small trees to two of which she was made fast ; the rain
continued to fall in torrents for nearly two hours, and from
our unavoidable exposure to its influence we were all
drenched to the skin. When the storm had entirely ex-
hausted itself, we found that the wind had died away also,
and as we could not resume our voyage, we determined
to return with the current to the island of San Pedro;
TMs we accordingly did, and had to remain in our wet
clothes during the greater part of the night. La going
down I observed a number of large meteors passing from
the N. E. to the S. W. following the course of the storm.
The two following days were again calm, with heavy
thunder storms in the evening, so that we were compelled
to remain all this time on the island. A more serious
event, however, now occured to detain me among the In-
dians. The day after the storm before mentioned, I found
myself feverish and unwell, and two days after this I was
k2
132 tRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
severely attacked with dysentery, which is of firequent
occurrence at this season, caused no doubt by the sudden
transitions of temperature. In the meantime, a favoura-
ble breeze had sprung up, and as I was far too ill to pro-
ceed, the canoe was obliged to sail without me ; I was
thus left behind in an old hut, the floor of which was still
wet fipom having been a short time before overflowed by
the river. In this place I was confined in my hammock
for five days, during which time I was so ill that I never
expected to recover ; fipom being in robust health, I was
in the course of these few days reduced to a mere shadow,
with scarcely the power, when I did get out of my ham-
mock, to drag one leg after the other. I felt severely the
want of my medicine chest which I had left behind at
Maceio, not vnshing in this branch excursion to encumber
myself with luggage, my only resource, therefore, was to
trust to the remedial agents employed by the people them-
selves. This I found to consist in the use of castor oil,
which is commonly made on the island, and afterwards
a drink, ad libitum, of strong lemonades of vinegar and
white sugar. There was only one venda in the village,
in which the latter materials were to be obtained, but
where, strange to say, the only other purchaseable article
was rum. Nothing in the shape of provisions was to be
had for any consideration, and as our long stay here had
completely exhausted our stock, both Pedro and I were
almost reduced to a state of starvation. Not even a
particle of farinha was to be had, and had we not been
supplied with a fowl or two, by an old Indian woman
who attended very kindly upon me durinjg my illness, we
should have been miserably destitute. While still confined
ALAGOAS AND tH£ RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 133
to my bed, I sent Pedro to another small village a few
leagues fiirther up the river, to pmxjhase, if possible, some
provisions, but he returned altogether unsuccessful. My
chief regret was for this poor fellow, for he was well and
felt the pangs of hunger far more keenly than I did. In
the meantime, a canoe fortunately arrived at the island
with a little farinha for sale, of which I bought as much,
at four times the usual price, as would suffice to take us
back again to Penedo, for I had now renounced all idea
of going further up the river. The poor inhabitants of
the island were themselves hterally in a state of starvation,
their principal food being the fruit of Geqffroya mperba,
the produce of a small tree growing rather abundantly
on the south side of the island. It reaches to the height
of nearly twenty feet, and produces a fleshy drupe about
the size of a walnut ; it is called umari by the Indians.
In almost every house, whether Indian or Brazilian, I
observed a large pot of this fruit preparing, either in
doors over a fire made on the floor, or on the ground
under a tree in the neighbourhood of the house. As soon as
they are nearly ready, groups of children in a state of nu-
dity, and half naked men and women seat themselves
around the pot, each furnished with two stones, a larger
and a smaller one, for the purpose of breaking the nut
after they have devoured the outward fleshy part ; the
taste of the kernel is not unlike that of boiled beans.
Fish is- in general the staple food of these people, but this
is difficult to procure when the river is much flooded.
At the west end of the village there is a large wide
spreading Zizyphm tree standing alone, and as these
trees retain their dense covering of leaves all the year
134 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
round, their shade is sought after both by men and ani-
mals during the excessive heat of the day. Under that
of which I now speak were to be seen a number of vil-
lagers of both sexes, the women squatting on mats
spread on the ground, and occupied in spinning with a
distaff^ a coarse kind of cotton yam used principally
as wicks for tapers, which they make of a brown
coloured native wax. The men are much less industrious
than the women, being generally to be seen standing
about in a state of idleness, or swinging in their ham-
mocks, either in their houses or beneath the shade of a
tree. Under the large Zizyphm tree, several hammocks
are hung up every morning, and they are seldom unoccu-
pied. On Sundays the women lay aside their spinning
apparatus, but immediately after mass, groups of them
may be seen playing cards, at which they continue during
nearly the whole day ; as they do not play for money, they
use only french beans as counters. Until I gained sufficient
strength to leave the island, I also spent much of my time
under the shade of this tree, either listening to the con-
versation of these people, or answering the thousand and
one questions put by them respecting my own and other
distant countries. These questions were often sufficiently
ridiculous, and I could often perceive that my answers
were considered as stretches of the long bow, although
they were too polite to say so \ nor was it only among
the poor islanders of San Pedro, that I observed this to be
the case, for the same often occurred among those who
were considered well educated people. I remember once
to have been conversing with the President of one of the
inland provinces about Steam Navigation, and on telling
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 135
him that many of the English Steam-boats were now en-
tirely constracted of iron, he did not say that he did not
believe me, but simply remarked '' that in Brazil, when
iron was pnt into water it always sank/'
On the twelfth of March I took leave of my Indian
friends, and embarked in a canoe which I hired to take
me down to Penedo, having been exactly a fortnight on
the island. We reached that place on the morning of the
fourteenth, when I received a kind welcome from my
friend the Juiz de Direito. I landed several times during
the passage, for the purpose of making collections of living
plants of the different kinds of Cacti, which grow in great
abundance on the banks of the river, wherever they are
rocky. At one of the places where we stopped, I observed
several fine trees of Pe/^(^^or2^»} V6ffelianum,^iiih. This
tree, which belongs to the natural order Lepiminoda,
reaches to the height of about forty feet, and has a great
branching top : the leaves are large but very much sub-
divided, and very graceful, having more the appearance of
the frond of a fern, than the leaf of a tree. The racemes
of flowers which grow at the ends of the branches, are often
more than a foot long, and the flowers are of a beautiful
golden colour ; at a distance it presents a more magnifi-
cent appearance, than almost any other tree I have seen.
The canoe was carried down the stream by the force of
the current, but in the afternoon, and during the greater
part of the night, the sea breeze blew so strong as to im-
pede our progress. The boatmen, however, adopted a
plan to overcome this, which I have never seen elsewhere,
nor even heard of, and I will therefore explain it in a few
136 TRAVELS IN BBAZIL.
words. Landing at a place where trees grew in abun-
dance, the men set to work, and cut off a considerable
quantity of branches, which were tied tightly together with
cords, one end of a long rope was made fast round its
middle, while the other end was secured to the canoe.
They then steered for a part of the river where the cur-
rent was strong, and threw the bundle overboard, which,
being heavy from its green state, floated just below the
surface of the water, and in this manner being entirely
out of the influence of the wind, it received the whole force
of the current, by which means, the canoe was dragged
down at a rate little inferior to that by which we des-
cended during the calm of the day.
■ I remained at Penedo eight days, and, thanks to the
very great kindness I received from the Juiz de Direito, my
health rapidly improved, and I was enabled to make seve-.
ral little excursions in the neighbourhood. The Juiz is
one of the few BraziUans I came in contact with, for whom
I entertain feelings of esteem and respect. I found him to
be a man of much intelligence, and well educated, having
studied at the University of Coimbra. Even among the liti-
gious Brazilians he was respected as a judge ; and, indeed,
both his opinions and actions were those of a mind deeply
imbued with benevolence. At Coimbra he had paid some
attention to the study of Botany, to which he was still par-
tial, but more to the theoretical than to the practical depart-
ment. He had made the acquaintance of M. Reidel and
Dr. Natterer, both of whom had lived with him some
years before, when he was residing in Para. In the
society of this excellent man, as well as in that of his bro*
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 137
ther, a priest who was then on a visit to him fix)in Bahia,
in the perusal of his books, and in visiting some families
in the town, my time passed away veiy agreeably.
One day I went to Villa Nova, to visit a Colonel Bento
Mello Pereira, the owner of a large sugar plantation.
After receiving an invitation to return to dinner, I walked
over to view his plantation, which was about two miles dis-
tant, but did not meet with much to reward my toil, for the
sun was hot, and the country dry and sandy. I reached
his house again a httle before two o'clock, that being the
dinner hour, where I found that two other persons both
belonging to the place, had been invited also. The dinner
was both substantial and excellent, being served up with
some degree of ostentation. We had a slave to wait upon
each of us, and before beginning, a little black fellow
supplied us with water from a large silver ewer in a
silver basin to wash our hands, bearing round his
shoulders, a long towel with which to dry them. After
dinner he took me to see a vessel he was building, a httle
above the* town ; it was about one hundred and fifty
tons burden, and nearly ready for launching. He in-
tended her to trade along the coast, but principally to
convey sugar to Bahia ; the planking consisted of Pao
AmareUo and Oitiy said to be the two best woods for ship-
building in the north of Brazil. I do not know to what
genus the Poo Amarella belongs, but the Oiti is the Mo-
quilea tomentosa of Bentham, first described from speci*
mens which I forwarded to him from Pemambuco.
A proposal has recently been made to establish a com-
munication by steam navigation, between the coast and
the interior central provinces of Brazil, by means of the
138 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Bio de San Francisco. Upon a mere inspection of the
map of this portion of the Empire, it would seem that
eveiy facility for this specious proposition has been offered
by nature ; an easy, cheap, although somewhat circuitous
water conveyance leads directly from the sea on the con-
fines of the province of Pemambuco into the heart of the
inland, rich, and comparatively well-populated mining and
diamond districts, which are separated from the great
markets of Bio de Janeiro and Bahia by lofty mountain
barriers, always difficult of access, and where the means
of transport are tedious and costly. I have great doubts
whether this plan will ever be carried into effect, in sup-
port of which opinion I will adduce three very substantial
reasons.
In the first place, the bar at the mouth of the river is
about two leagues broad, is always covered with a heavy
surf, and has seldom more than four feet of water on it
In the second place, at the falls of Paulo Affon90 there is
a series of rapids and falls about sixty miles in length,
forming a serious obstacle to the progress of any naviga-
tion. In the third place, there is a very limited popula-
tion throughout the intervening country, which is not likely
to increase, owing to the desert nature of the greater por-
tion of the interior ; from these causes the amount of pro-
duce likely to be taken to the coast must, consequently,
be very small indeed, so that the enterprize would not be
likely to succeed in a pecuniary point of view, even were
it otherwise practicable. Were the interior of the middle
portion of Brazil as fertile as is generally supposed to be
by those who have never visited it, hopes might be enter-
tained of its becoming hereafter a rich agricultural dis-
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 139
trict, such as the belt of country along the coast is found
to be ; in that case some great national undertaking for
rendering communication more easy, might be looked for ;
but while it exists as a dry arid tract scarcely fit for the
rearing oi cattle^ it is not at all likely that any Brazilian
at least will sink his money in attempting to render the
San Francisco navigable. A company oi En^hmen
may probably be induced in periods of infectious specula-
tion to venture upon this attempt, for some of the late ill-
concerted schemes in Brazil have been far more absurd ;
in testimony of which we may instance that monument of
folly, the Kio Doce Company.
The North Americans, particularly those of the back
settlements, are celebrated for their inquisitiveness ; but
this seems to be a veiy general failing with all those who
are shut out from frequent intercourse with strangers ; a
curious instance of this feeling occurred a few days after
I returned to Fenedo. I had brought letters from Ma-
ceio to a gentleman who lived here with a married bro-
ther, they were among the most respectable people in the
place. Although not yet eleven o'clock I found the lady,
a remarkably fine and good-looking woman, with her hus-
band busily engaged at cards, she lying in a hammock,
while he was seated on a chair beside her ; she had re-
cently been smoking, an almost universal accomplish-
ment among the ladies of the interior, — as a long pipe
was lying near her, and the floor beneath bore strong
indications of excessive expectoration. I was desired
to be seated, and was immediately inundated with a
flood of questions from the good lady who possessed a
great volubility of tongue. Among a host of others I
140 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
may enumerate the following. What countiyman are
you? What is your name? How old are you? Are you a
medical man? Are you married? Are your father and
mother alive ? What are their names ? Have you any
sisters ? What are their names ? Have you any brothers ?
What are their names ? Have all your countrymen blue
eyes? Have you churches and priests in your country ? Do
oranges and bananas grow there ? &c., &c. If, however,
she was inquisitive about my concerns, she was not less
disposed to tell me much that related to herself. Thus
she informed me that she was married when she was
nineteen years of age, that she was now five years mar-
ried, and in that time had presented her husband with a
yearly gift, all of whom were alive with the exception of
one. Her husband she said was thirty-six years of age,
and she desired me to feel his pulse, as he was always
complaining of bad health. I soon discovered his com-
plaint to be indigestion, one of the most frequent iUs that
Brazilians are subject to, arising, no doubt, from the enor-
mous quantities which they eat, and that generally not of
the most digestive materials, as well as from the late
heavy suppers which they indulge in. I had then to
feel her pulse in turn, and she seemed much pleased when
I told her it was an excellent one. I afterwards became
very intimate with them, and spent many agreeable hours
in their society ; their brother to whom I brought the let-
ters was a lawyer, and a well educated and intelligent
man.
On the afternoon of the 21st I bade adieu to the Juiz,
and my other friends in Penedo, and between eight and
nine o'clock in the evening embarked in a canoe which I
ALAOOAS AND. THE KIO SAN FRANCISCO. 141
had hired to take me down to Piassabassu, which we
reached after a saO of little more than four hours. As I
knew of no house to go to, I was obliged to pass the re-
mainder of the night in the canoe, tormented by mosqui-
tos, which were in such abundance that long ere morning
I was obliged to go on shore, and walk up and down till
daylight. The house in which I slept when I passed
through the village before, was now empty, but I was
allowed to occupy it, and as I could not get a cart to con-
vey me to Peba before the following evening, I had to
remain here a longer time than I intended. This interval
I devoted to a few Botanical excursions in the neighbour-
hood, and thereby added several new plants to my collec-
tions. On reaching Peba I again had the use of the little
. hut which I formerly occupied, and was obliged to remain
there two days before I could hire a jangada to take me
to Maceio ; that which I engaged was a fine large one
that had never been to sea, and on the morning of the 26th,
having got all my collections and luggage put on board,
we began our voyage. Peba I found to be nearly, if not
quite, as poor a place as the Ilha de San Pedro, and not a
single article of provision could be purchased there. Its
inhabitants are principally fishermen, and their chief food
is fish and farinha ; a want of success in the fishery
and a bad crop of mandiocca, had thrown them quite
into a state of starvation. On the evening before we
started, Pedro contrived somewhere to purchase a chicken,
and when we embarked our whole stock of provisions
consisted of one of its wings, and a few green cocoa-nuts.
Before we left, the owner of the canoe sent to Piassabassu
to purchase farinha or french beans, as sea stock for his
142 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
men, but neither were to be procured ; the crew, there-
fore, consisting of three men, had to content themselves
with only a few green cocoa-nuts. It rained the whole
of the first day, but the elevated part of the jangada on
which I lay, being well roofed over with cocoa-nut leaves,
I suffered but httle inconvenience in consequence. At
night we did not put in to shore, as is usual with these
crafts, the men being as anxious as myself to reach Ma-
ceio, but the wind being light we could not make much
progress. During the succeeding day the winds were
again light, but having freshened towards evening we
reached Maceio about eight o'clock p.m.; the surf, how-
ever, running so high along the beach that I would not
allow the jangada to run on shore, as by doing so my
collections would have been completely spoiled. The
crew wished me to remain on board till the tide went out,
but I had suffered too much from hunger during the voy-
age, to think of staying any longer, so leaping into the water
with Pedro, immediately after a large wave had passed
us we followed it, and reached the shore before another
had time to overtake us, but not without being completely
drenched. Leaving everything on board to be landed
next day, I immediately set off for the house of Mr. Bur-
nett, about a mile distant, and arrived just in time for tea,
when, after changing my clothes I made a most comfort-
able meal, being the first I had enjoyed for two days.
Wishing to see the city of Alagoas, the capital of the
province, I made arrangements for visiting it, and started
from Maceio on the 31st of March. This city is situated
on the south side of a large lake which runs inland about
forty miles, and is about twenty miles distant from Ma-
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 143
ceio. There is a narrow entrance to the lake firom the
sea, about two leagues to the south of the latter place ;
but still further to the southward, there is another inlet
from the sea, which runs northward to within a mile of
the town, and by means of a small canal which has been
cut, canoes can now approach within a very short distance
of the houses. Accompanied by a young countryman,
I embarked in a Kght canoe about midnight, with the view
of reaching Alagoas early in the morning, and thus escape
exposure on the water during the heat of the day. My
man Pedro was our only navigator, who used a long pole,
the mode usually adopted for propelling canoes, as the
lake is extremely shallow. As soon as we were fairly
afloat on the canal, we laid down in the bottom of the
canoe to sleep, but failed to do so, in consequence of the
myriads of mosquitos and sand flies that almost fill the
atmosphere among the mangroves that abound along the
muddy shores. At eight o'clock in the morning we came
in sight of the city, which is built upon a somewhat elevated
situation, and as the houses are rather lai^e, and inter-
mingled with numerous churches, and lofty mango trees,
it has really an enchanting appearance when seen in the
distance. In about an hour afterwards we landed, and
as I had brought no letters of recommendation, I des-
patched Pedro to look out for a house where we could
remain till morning, but he returned after being an hour
absent, with the intelligence that none was to be ob-
tained. This did not annoy me much, as we found an old
house close to where we landed, where I proposed to re-
main, especially as the weather was fine, the only shelter
we required being shade. Just, however, as we were
144 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
about to remove our luggage thither, the owner of an ad-
joining house perceiving that we were strangers, invited
us to take up our quarters with him, an invitation which we
readily accepted, as it would be not only more comfortable,
but would allow us greater freedom to walk about. Like
most other Brazilian cities in which I have been, Alagoas
looks better from a distance than on close inspection ; and
as in the instance of Penedo, it has all the appearance of
having once been a much more flourishing place than it
now is, the expulsion of the Portuguese having given its
industry a death blow, from which it is not soon likely to
recover. The houses are for the most part built of stone,
and many of them are what are called Sobradoa, that is,
consist of more stories than one, but many of them are
falling into decay ; even the principal streets are over-
grown with grass and other weeds, and have a deserted
appearance. The finest buildings are the churches and
convents ; of the former there are eight, and of the latter
two in number. It being the seat of the provincial go-
vernment, the President resides there, but as Maceio is
the chief place of trade, there is also a government house
in that town for his accommodation, when he visits it, as
he frequently does, for the transaction of business. The
population of Alagoas amounts to about 6000. On one
or two occasions that I walked through the principal
streets I saw very few people, and they for the most part
were bare-footed, ragged mulato, and Indian soldiers, two
of whom were keeping guard at the house of the Pre-
sident.
The chief productions of the country around Alagoas
are sugar, cotton, and a little mandiocca. At the time
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO. 145
of my visit great complaints were made of the scarcity of
provisions, but it is impossible to feel much commisera-
tion for the starving condition of the poor people, when
it is known that it is entirely owing to their own want of
industry that sufficient crops of mandiocca are not raised,
not only for their own consumption, but for exportation
to other parts of the country. There is abundance of
ground around the city lying waste, which is well adapted
for the growth of this plant, and but Uttle labour suffi-
ces for its cultivation, but the indolent disposition of th^
people is such, that, with all the advantages which the
country ofiers, they are contented to obtain just sufficient
for immediate use and seldom look forward to the future.
Towards the head of the lake, the country is said to be
much richer than it is near the city, and it is in that direc-
tion that the largest and most productive sugar and cot-
ton plantations are seen. The lake is not of sufficient
depth to admit of vessels of any size, all traffic between
the sea and the city is carried on in large canoes, and a
small class of flat bottomed saihng vessels called Lanchas.
Opposite the city the lake is about a league broad, the
water is quite fresh, and yields abundance of fine fish,
which forms the chief part of the animal food of the
inhabitants, to whom it is sold at a very cheap rate.
Much fine timber is floated down the lake from the up-
per parts of the country for exportation along the coast ;
the two wooden bridges at Pernambuco are for the most
part constructed of it.
During my rambles in this neighbourhood, I found
several species of plants which I had not previously met
146 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
with. In a small stream of beautifully clear water the
curious Cabomba aquatica, Aubl. grows abundantly, which
to the Botanist is a most interesting plant, as, both in
habit and structure, it forms a transition link between
the Banuncultie family and that of the water lilies. In
the same stream I likewise collected specimens of a Mar-
silaa, a pale blue flowered Pontederia and a large white
flowered Nymphaa diiflferent from that which grows in the
lake at Olinda. In brackish water a little above Maceio,
.a Potamogeton grows in vast quantities, which on compa-
rison, does not seem to difier from the British P.pectina-
tus. We returned to Maceio by daylight, and I observed
that the shores abound with Mangroves, principally
Bhizophora Mangle, which reaches here to a much
greater size than I have elsewhere seen it, some of the
trees being, at least, thirty feet high, with stems propor-
tionally thick ; it presents a curious appearance, the large
roots supporting the steins at the height of several feet
above the water, and curving outwards and downwards ;
if the real top were not seen, we could almost fancy that
the tree had been reversed ; the long pendent radicles of
the seeds are also remarkable, as they are thrown down
to the ground while the fruit is yet attached to the
parent plant. The wood of this tree is very much used
as fuel, it bums extremely well in the green state ; at
Maranham Uttle else is used for this purpose.
On the morning of the 20th of April I left Maceio, in a
little vessel loaded with cotton, and arrived at Pemam-
buco on the evening of the 24th, taking Pedro with me,
he having agreed to accompany me on my projected
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN PRANCISCO. 147
journey into the interior. The only thing which I ob-
served worthy of notice on the passage, was a mode of
fishing that was new to me. Towards the evenmg of the
third day, while running along between the reef and the
shore, the vessel grounded on a sand bank, the tide
being then about half ebb. Having laid down to sleep
on the deck, I awoke about nine o'clock, and was sur-
prised to see a great number of lights moving quickly
between the shore and the reef, and extending as far as
I could see. Our boatmen were at this time sound
asleep, but as the tide was now out, and the ground
around us dry, I made for the nearest lights, and found
them to belong to a man and boy, both of whom were
naked, each having a lighted torch in his left hand, a long
sword-knife in the right, with a small basket suspended
round the neck by a thick piece of cord. I soon disco-
vered they were engaged in killing the small fish which
the tide had left in the shallow pools of water inside the
reef. They walked somewhat quickly along, holding the
flaming torch pretty close to the water, by which means the
fish, not above three inches long, were very distinctly
perceived, and when seen, immediately struck with the
sword, quickly picked up, and put into the basket. This
man told me that all he expected to get, would scarcely
suffice for the supper of the four individuals comprising
his family. As the tide came in, the lights were seen
receding towards the shore, and gradually becoming ex-
tinct. The material of which the torches are made, is the
wood of. a fine large arborescent species of Biffnonia, to
which the Brazihans give the name of Poo d'Arco, from
l2
148 TRAVELS IN BKAZIL.
the circumstance of its being used by the Indians to make
their bows They spht this wood into thin splinters, a
number of which are tied together, and when lighted, it
bums with a very clear flame. Before castor-oil was so
much cultivated as it now is, this kind of light was ex-
tensively used by the country people, even in their sugar-
houses and other works.
CHAPTER V.
CEAEA.
PEENAMBUCO TO CRATO.
The Author leaves Pernambuco in a Ck>asting Vessel — ^Description of
the Voyage— Touches at Cape San Eoque — ^Arrives at Aracaty —
Seaport of Province of Ceara — ^Town described — ^its Trade — ^Whole
Province subject to great droughts — Commencement of Journey into
the Interior — ^Passes Villa de San Bernardo — ^Arid nature of the
Country — Catingas — Arrives at led — Town described — Journey con-
tinued— ^Villa da Lavra de Mangabeira — Gold washings abandoned
— Country begins to improve — ^Reaches the Villa do Crato— Town
described — Low state of morals among the Inhabitants — Sugar
Plantations — ^Mode of Manufacture — Coarse kind of Sugar formed
into Cakes called Bapadura, in which state it is used throughout the
Province — State of Cultivation in the Neighbourhood — ^Production
of the Country — Serra de Araripe — Different kinds of timber —
Wild firuits— Wandering Tribes of Gypsies frequent — ^Great religi-
ous Festival — Climate — ^Diseases.
On my return to Pernambuco from Maceio, Dr. Loudon
kindly afforded me the use of his country residence, he
having removed into the town, and I remained here from
the end of April to the beginning of July. At the time
of going there, the rainy season had just set in, when I
observed the very striking effect vrhich a few showers had
abeady produced on the vegetation. Three months
before, I had left the whole herbage scorched and withered
150 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
while the trees had a brown and sickly appearance;
now all was fresh and verdant ; grass and other herba-
ceous plants were covering the face of the earth, and
bursting into bloom ; and the shrubs and trees had as-
sumed their summer dress, the deep green of the leaves
harmonizing well with their various coloured flowers. The
rainy season is here generally expected to commence
about the middle or end of April, and continues till
about the middle of August. At first, the rains fall in
heavy showers, accompanied with thunder and lightning,
but ultimately they become more frequent, lasting for
half or an entire day, or even several successive days,
with but very short intermissions ; the longest period I
knew it to ndn without cessation, being thirty-six hours.
At this season from the flatness of the country, the roads
are so completely flooded, that it is impossible to move
out on foot ; and the atmosphere is so thoroughly saturated
with moisture, that everything acquires a coating of blue
mould; even books get so damp, that, unless exposed
to the first sunshine, they become musty and are spoiled.
As it was impossible to stir much abroad, I occupied
myself with arranging and packing my collections trom
Alagoas, in making preparations for my inland journey,
and in dissecting and examining the structure of nume*
rous animals found in the neighbourhood. I also made
it my endeavomr to ascertain which was the best route for
the journey I had in view. Those who had visited the
interior strongly recommended me to proceed by sea to
Aracaty, a town in the province of Ceara, about two and
a half degrees to the North of Pemambuco, and to start
inland from that port, the roads being better than those
PERNAMBUCO TO CBATO. 151
leading fix>m other parts of the coast, and horses cheaper.
I therefore determined to adopt this plan, and in the end
found no cause to repent having done so. I received the
best information from two Portuguese merchants named
Pinto, who resided in Ico, a large town in the interior of
the province of Ceara, and who had come to Pemambuco
to purchase goods, which they are in the habit of doing
once in every two or three years ; they were the most
influential people in that quarter, and I considered my-
self fortunate in making their acquaintance. In order
to convey their goods to Aracaty, they had hired a small
schooner, and accordingly I engaged a passage for myself
and servant in the same vessel. A few days before we
sailed I called with Mr. Goring, H.B.M., Vice Consul,
upon the Vice-President of the province, Senhor Francisco
de Paulo Cavalcante d' Albuquerque, (the President blsing
then absent at Rio) with the view of obtaining my pass-
port ; we were kindly received, but with less frankness
than when I visited the late President Camargo ; Senhor
Albuquerque is a man of considerable property, and
belongs to one of the first and oldest families in the north
of Brazil. Besides the passport, he sent me the next day
letters of recommendation to the Presidents of Ceara and
Piauhy.
After a delay of several days, I embarked at noon on
the 19th of July, in the Maria Luiza, a schooner of about
one hundred tons burthen ; she was deeply laden, the
cabin and deck, as well as the entire hold, being crammed
with goods. We had, altogether, seventeen passengers
on board, besides an equal number of negro servants or
slaves ; all brought much luggage with them, so that the
152 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
whole of the after-deck was completely covered with trunks
and packages heaped on each other, the only clear space
left being that requisite for the steersman ; on each side
were two kennel-like boxes, which served as the sleeping
berths of the two Pintos, all the other passengers being
obliged to make the best provision for themselves upon
deck in the open air, for there was no accommodation what-
ever below, even for taking meals, every one, therefore,
looked out for the most convenient comer to sit or lie
down in. I could find no better quarters than those upon
my own trunks, one of which being much higher than the
other, ofiered a miserably hard couch, on which I was
obliged to sleep at night. This was rendered still worse
by the bad weather, for no sooner had we quitted the har-
bour than it began to rain heavily, from which no shelter
could be obtained, except that aflforded by my Poncho and
umbrella, which did not long prevent me from being com-
pletely drenched. The misery of my situation may there-
fore be well imagined, and if some of my previous voy-
ages were disagreeable, this was wretched in the extreme.
My suffering was much aggravated by sea-sickness, from
which I had always been quite free, but I experienced
much inconvenience from this cause during the first two
days, arising principally from too close contiguity to my
fellow passengers ; under any circumstances there is no
malady that so entirely prostrates both mind and body,
but in my present position, sometimes exposed to the
burning rays of the sun, at others to heavy rains without
the power or means of sheltering myself from their in-
fluence, this feeling was greatly aggravated. By the
evening of the second day, I found myself so much re-
PEENAMBUCO TO CRATO. 163
covered as to be able to sit up, and on the following
morning to eat a little, my only food having been hitherto
a few oranges, the most grateful of all things to a sick
person. Many of my companions did not fare so well, as
they continued to suffer till the end of the voyage.
For my passage and that of my black servant I paid
twenty-six milreis, about three pounds five shiUings ster-
Img, which included provisions. These were regularly
served out three times a day by the Captain from the top
of the companion, and on these occasions, I was always
greatly amused at the scenes which took place ; every one
rushed forward for his portion, and sometimes groups of
twos, threes, and fours were to be seen eating with their
fingers out of the same dish. There were only a few
knives and forks, not nearly sufficient for the number of
passengers, and these fell always to the share of those first
served. Our food consisted for the most part of minced
dried beef boiled with rice, to which was added morning
and evening a cup of tea, and at dinner a bottle or two of
miserable red wine.
One of my fellow-passengers was too remarkable a per-
son not to be made mention of; he was an active, slender
httle fellow, about thirty years of age, rather well dressed,
his physiognomy denotmg a remarkable developement of
the organ of language, a qualification which I found fully
confirmed in him ; he seemed to be well known to the
other passengers, beguiled much of the tedium of the voy-
age by his amusing and extravagant stories, for which he
possessed great talent, and seldom have I listened to one
whose powers were greater in this respect. He was often
called upon for a song, on which occasion he was accom-
164 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
panied by a young man who played well on the guitar.
He told me that he was a native of Pemambuoo and had
visited Lisbon, and all the sea ports between Buenos Ayres
and Para, and he described many of the adventures that
befell him on several of these occasions. In recounting
these tales he generally seated himself cross-legged on
the companion, and as he proceeded, his listeners were
kept in one continued roar of laughter. The adventures oi
Gil Bias were nothing compared with his, and it is not im-
probable that many were manufactured for the occasion.
About noon of the second day we passed Cape St.
Roque, and in the evening came to anchor in a small bay
inside the reef, within a short distance of a suspicious
looking schooner, which I have no doubt came in here to
land a cai^o of slaves, as there was no likelihood of her
being in this solitary place for any other purpose. Early
next morning we again got outside the reef, and continued
our voyage, running before the S.E. trades which were
blowing very freshly at the time. The weather now be-
came much finer, and I could enjoy the cool fresh breeze,
and observe the nature of the coast, to which we often ap-
proached so closely as to be within little more than gun-
shot of it ; with the exception of a few white sand hills,
destitute nearly of vegetation, it appeared extremely flat.
About noon of the third day we made the bar of Aracaty,
but as it was then low water, and too shallow to allow us
to enter, we had to stand off till four p.m., when a pilot
came on board who steered us into the smooth deep water
in the mouth of the river inside the bar, where we came
to anchor for the night, and were visited by a custom-
house officer, who was more particular in examining my
PEBNAMBUCO TO C&ATO. 155
hi^age than that of «any other passenger. When this
was finished, and I had exhibited my passport, I was
allowed to hire a boat to convey me to the town, situated
twelve miles farther up the river, as the vessel could not
get up till the following day.
The river on which the town of Aracaty stands is called
the Bio Jaguaribe, and a little above the bar it is about a
mile broad. For a considerable distance the western
bank is comparatively high, but the eastern side is flat all
the way up to the town. The lower part of the western
bank is rath^ thickly wooded with small trees, but on
both sides the shores are covered with mangroves. About
a league and a half below the town, great numbers of the
Camahuba palm {Corypha cerifera^ Mart.) makes its ap«
pearance. This palm, of which I afterwards passed
through immense forests, reaches to the height of from
twenty to forty feet, and besides being the most abundant,
is one of the most beautiful of its size. The stems of the
younger plants are generally covered all over with leaves,
but as they get older the lower ones drop off, leaving only
a tuft at the top,*which is so arranged as to form a per-
feet ball. The leaves are fan-shaped, and not at all un-
like those of the fan palm of the South of Europe.
The town of Aracaty stands on the east side of the
river, and consists principally of one long broad street.
It contains four fine chmrches, and the houses are gene-
rally of two stories. The population amounts to about
5000, the mass of whom are very poor. A considerable
quantity of dried beef was formerly prepared here for ex-
portation to other parts of Brazil, but this trade has fallen
off very much, cotton and hides being now the principal
166 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
articles of export. Of the former* about 5000 bags, or
25,000 arrobas of thirty-two pounds each, are exported
annually, and of the latter about 2000. But little cotton
is cultivated near the coast, the greater part of it, as well
as the hides, being brought from the interior ; the trans-
port of these is effected at the end of the rainy season in
large waggons, which are generally drawn by twelve oxen.
During the time of the rains, the roads are impassable,
and in the dry season, neither water nor grass can be pro-
cured for the cattle. The river runs close to the town, and
at the end of the rainy season, when I was there, was
somewhat less than a quarter of a mile broad ; but during
the height of the rains, it often rises twelve feet above its
ordinary level, and then overflows the town. With the
exception of a hill situated two and a half leagues to the
S. W. of the town, and which rises six or eight hundred feet,
and a few sand hills near the coast, the country all round
is so flat, that the horizon is about as level as that of the
sea. The houses are built of a frame-work miade of the
stems of the Camahuba palm filled up with brick. The
stem of this useful tree is used by the inhabitants for
almost every purpose to which wood can be applied ; it is
so durable that the lower part; particularly of the full
grown stems, lasts for many years, even when exposed to
the weather ; hence all the enclosures for cattle are made
of them, for which purpose they are longitudinally spht.
The leaves are used for a variety of purposes, such as
thatch, packsaddles, hats, &c; they also yield a kind of
wax, obtained from the young leaves, which are covered
with a glaucous bloom, by shaking them afber they have
been detached from the tree. Each leaf yields about fifty
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 1B7
grams of a whitish powder, and when a considerable
quantity of it has been obtained, it is put into a pot and
melted over the fire. Some years ago, a large quantity
of this was sent to Lisbon, but was not found to answer
any useful purpose ; by the Brazilians it is sometimes
used to adulterate conunon wax. In times of scarcity
the young leaves are chopped up, and given to horses and
cattle to eat, and the people prepare for themselves a kind
of farinha from the inside of the young stems. The rains
generally begin here in February, and end about the be-
ginning of June. The whole province is sometimes lia-
ble to great droughts (seccas), the last of which occurred
in the year 1825, during which no rain fell at all. The
distress resulting from this calamity was very great, and the
people still speak of it with the utmost horror ; nearly all
the horses and cattle were exterminated, and the loss of
human life was very great, it being estimated that 30,000
of the inhabitants of the province perished. Great num-
bers of these died while attempting to reach the coast ;
wild as well as domestic animals fell victims to the want
of water and food : these droughts have been observed to
occur periodicafly. Aracaty was, during my visit, sup-
pUed with water of tolerable quality from a well near the
town, but it was expected shortly to have an excellent
supply from a spring about a league distant ; the indivi-
dual who undertook to procure this was Senhor Maya, a
native of Gibraltar, who has been settled for many years
at Aracaty; having received a privilege from government,
he laid a brick channel for the water to run in, and as the
spring is considerably lower than the town, he was erecting
a force pump for the piurpose of raising it ; the water
158 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
from the well near the town, was sold through the streets
in small barrels carried on low carts, which were often
drawn by sheep. Senhor Maya expects to remunerate
himself by the sale of the produce of his labour, which
will certainly, from its superior quality, obtain preference.
As at Maceio, there is only one British merchant resi-
dent at Aracaty, Mr. Miller, to whom I had letters from
Pemambuco, and in whose house I was hospitably enter-
tained during the fortnight I remained here. I had also
letters to several respectable Brazihans, from whom I like-
wise received many kind attentions, not the least of which
were letters to their friends in the interior. Besides
making the necessary preparations for my journey, I made
a few excursions in the neighbourhood, and thereby ob-
tained specimens of most of the plants which were then in
flower, among these was a very pretty species of Anf/elonia
{J. argutay Benth.). As the Senhores Pinto were sendmg
their goods toico in waggons, they obligingly allowed
me to despatch, by this opportunity, all the heaviest por-
tions of my luggage. I thus only required to purchase
two horses at Aracaty, and these, two of the best travelling
ones that were to be had, cost only about four guineas each.
Having agreed to accompany the Pintos to Ico, we started
on horseback from Aracaty, on the morning of the 3rd of
August, in the midst of a heavy shower of rain, which,
however, soon ceased. After riding through a dense
forest of Camahuba palms on a perfectly level sandy road,
we crossed the river at the distance of about two leagues
and a half from the town. The ford is called the Passa-
gem das Pedras, from the rocky nature of the bed of the
river. These rocks I found belonged to the gneiss series.
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 159
with the strata nearly vertical, the little inclination which
they had, being towards the west in the direction of the
hill already alluded to, called the Serra d'Arere, about
half a mUe distant. At nine o'clock we halted to break-
fast in a large shed {rancho) by the roadside, and there
we remained till the afternoon, for in travelling in the
north of Brazil, where the heat is very great, the animals
are always allowed to rest during the middle of the day,
which is not the case in the south, where the whole day's
journey is made at one stretch. The country during our
morning's ride still continued flat, but in many places
instead of being sandy, is covered with gravel and boulders
of various sizes, the largest of the latter being about four
feet in diameter, all more or less rounded, and consisting
of granite, gneiss, and quartz. The great mass of the
vegetation consisted of Comahuba pahns and a few small
trees which grew among them, the most common of which
is a species of Patagontday called by the Brazilians Poo
branco, from the white nature of its wood, which is chiefly
employed as fuel. As we passed along, we raised nume-
rous flocks of pigeons, some of which were not larger than
sparrows, while others were the size of our domestic ones ;
and sporting among the leaves of the palms we observed
several species of Parrots and Paroquets, besides a variety
of beautiful small birds, one species being very numerous
much resembling the common Canary. The notes of
these birds were of course as varied as their kinds, that of
the parrot tribe being particularly disagreeable, not unlike
that of the EngUsh Rook, but the sound which most par-
ticularly caught my ear, was the monotonous aud distinct
cry of the Bem-te-ve, a bird about the size, shape, and
160 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
colour of the Thrush. This name has been given to it
from the resemblance of its note to the Portuguese signi-
fying "I see youwell," which it repeats in quick succession.
Resuming our journey at three o'clock in the afternoon,
and traveUing through the same sort of country, we pas-
sed a small town towards dusk, called Villa de San Ber-
nardo, which is ten leagues distant from Aracaty. It is
built in the form of a square, the west side of which is
principally occupied with a handsome church ; and as it
stands in the open plain {vargem) which is studded with
occasional wide-spreading Zizyphus trees and Camahuba
palms, and as all the houses are whitewashed, it offers an
imposing appearance when seen at a distance. About
half a league beyond this town, we stopped for the night
at a small house by the roadside ; all the houses in this
part of the country, which are not actually in towns, have
a large veranda {cqpial) in front, and it is under this that
travellers generally ask leave to rest for the night, there
being hooks fixed from which hammocks can be suspended.
As soon as the loads were taken off the cargo horses, and
the saddles from those we had ridden, they were sent to
graze in the neighbourhood, where they were left with
their fore feet strapped pretty closely together, in order to
prevent them from straying.
Early next morning by the Ught of a beautiful and
clear moon we resumed our journey, but had not gone
more than two leagues when I was prevented from ac-
companying my companions further by an awkward mis-
take made by my servant. In the hurry of departure, in
the place of one of my horses, he had caught another of
the same size and colour, belonging to someone else, and
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 161
it was not till daylight had fairly set in that the mistake
was discovered. I had now to call a halt, and getting my
trunks &c. put under the veranda of an old house, I des-
patched Pedro in search of my own animal. About two
o'clock he returned bringing it with him, but as I found
myself somewhat indisposed I determined not to proceed
further that night. As there was no inhabited house near,
we remained at the ruined dwelling, which my health did
not allow us to leave for two days. As the road on which
we proceeded is the highway to the interior of the province
of Ceara, as also to the middle parts of the province of
Piauhy, many travellers passed our encampment. Wag-
gons loaded with cotton and hides were going downwards,
while others, as well as numerous troops of horses, were
passing upwards loaded with European goods and salt, the
latter being a scarce and dear article in the interior.
When afterwards I travelled through some of the most
desert, and least inhabited parts of the inland provinces,
there were two articles which were always asked for on
my arrival at any habitation, first, gunpowder, and then
salt ; some of the poor beings scarcely taste the latter
from one year's end to the other, their animal food being
preserved by simply drying it in the sun, after it has been
cut into thin sKces. I had always to carry a stock of salt
with me, and not unfrequently it has cost me as much as
three shillings a pound, at the same time that I could
purchase an entire fat ox for about ten shillings. To the
European who is accustomed to travel without need of
arms, and in comparative security, the appearance of the
swarthy and brigand-like travellers here met with, each
armed with horse pistols, sword, dagger, knife, and gun,
M
162- TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
afford no favourable idea of the morals of these people.
Murders and robberies are frequent among them, it
being seldom that the one is committed without the
other, when they always occur by treachery. From all I
have seen and heard, I do not believe that one instance
can be recorded of a Brazilian boldly facing another and
asking him for his purse ; one reason for this may be that
each is aware that the other is armed with a knife, and
hence he avoids coming within reach of it. Most of the
very many murders which are committed in Brazil, are
the result either of jealousy or of poUtical hatred.
It was not till the afternoon of the 6th that I found
myself sufficiently recovered to leave our soUtary encamp-
ment, when we resumed our journey at a slow pace till
after eleven at night. The moon had risen about six,
and shone with a brilliancy such as I have seldom wit-
nessed ; this together with the coolness of the evening,
renders travelling after sunset very agreeable, although
to the naturalist it is not the most profitable. During
the whole of my extensive joumies I made it a rule never
to travel at night, unless through a decidedly desert
country, in order that nothing of interest should be over-
looked. The seven leagues which we accomplished this
evening was through a country of much the same barren
nature as that we had already gone over, with the excep-
tion of one low range of hills covered with small trees and
shrubs ; on the level portion scarcely anything was to be
seen but Camahuba palms, Pao Branco, a Zizyphus, and
a species of Jyndospermum, a small tree that grows gre-
gariously and to which the inhabitants give the name of
Pereira ; the bark of it is very bitter, and its infusion is
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 163
used to destroy lice, and other vermin infecting cattle.
We passed through several large open gravelly spaces
{pargemi)y nearly destitute of trees, and the herbaceous
vegetation that had sprung up during the rains, was now
nearly parched up. The stillness of the night was only
broken by the cries of a small species of Goatsucker {Capri-
mtd^\ that was flying about in great numbers. We
rested for the night under the veranda of a house close to
the roadside, in approaching which we passed through a
flock of several hundred sheep, being the greatest number
I have seen collected together in any part of the country,
but the excessive heat of the climate had wrought a re-
markable change in their appearance, their skin being
wholly destitute of wool and replaced by a short hair, not
unlike that of a cow. In the same manner goats lose
the long hair natural to them in cold countries, which
proves how much the economy of animals can suit itself
to change of circumstances. On the following morning
we traversed a country still abounding with the elegant
Camahuba palm, and mmierous small fresh-water lakes,
teeming with wild duck and other kind of water fowl, and
arrived at a place where there are several houses near to
the Bio Jaquaribe, in the neighbourhood of which some
small trees of Cochloapermum serratifolium^ DC, were
beautifully in flower, their large golden blossoms gleam-
ing in the sun like oranges ; here I found that in con-
sequence of the pack-saddles being too narrow, the back
of the cargo horse was so much galled, that it could no
longer carry its load, and in consequence I was obliged
to hire another from a person whom I met going up to
Ico with loads of salt, and who had some spare animals
M 2
164 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
with him. The weather being fine, I preferred taking
up my quarters under the shade of a broad-spreading wild
fig tree standing some distance from any habitation,
although I was invited by the owner of one of the houses
to accept the accommodation it afforded.
As the person whose horse I had hired could not leave
till the following day, I was obliged, against my will, to
await his convenience. Soon after my arrival I sent
Pedro to purchase some milk for breakfast, and he re-
turned with a large basinful, for which he said the people
would not take money ; and in the course of the forenoon
I had similar presents sent to me from two other persons.
During the season of the rains, and for a few months
afterwards, milk is very abundant, and of excellent qua-
lity, but it is nowhere to be procured except in large
towns, during the last four or five months of the dry sea-
son. The inhabitants prepare a little cheese, but have no
idea of making butter ; the milk remaining after break-
fast, for they milk their cows only in the morning, is
allowed to stand till night, when from the heat of the day
it becomes ciurdled ; this dish of which they are very fond,
is generally sweetened with a kind of coarse unclarified
sugar, to which they give the name of Mapadura^ and
which is brought from the country above Ic6; it is
formed into cakes about six inches long, three broad, and
two thick ; during a long time I was obliged to use this
as a substitute for sugar, but although at first not very
agreeable, I at length became so fond of it as to prefer it
to sugar itself, and such I found to be the case with the
people iri this part of the country ; I have repeatedly
seen them make a meal of a lump of this with a little
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 165
faiinha. The greater part of the inhabitants of the dis-
trict through which we were journeying, are rearers of
cattle {Criadorea de Gado)y but none of them possess such
inunense herds as I afterwards found to exist in the pro-
vinces of Piauhy and Goyaz. Provisions were here very
cheap, in consequence of the small demand for them ; an
ox could be purchased for about twenty-five shillings, and
a sheep or a goat for four or five ; Pedro bought a fowl
in fine condition for about two pence halfpenny, and
eight eggs for a penny. I observed very few cotton
plantations, as these people grow it only for their own use;
they also cultivate a little mandiocca, the root of which
produces a kind of cassava, well-known all over Brazil
under the name of farinha ; this, together with dried beef
(came secca), forms their chief food ; the farinha is either
used in its dry state, when it is much of the consistence
of saw dust, or is made up into a kind of pudding called
Piiao, by mixing it with boiling water, or with milk when
that article is abundant.
On the first day's journey with our new companion we
travelled about seven leagues, five of which were accom-
plished in the morning, and two in the evening. The
Villa de Ico is in a southerly direction, bearing a httle to
the west of Aracaty, the distance between them being
about two hundred and forty miles. The Senhors Pinto
accomplished the journey in five days and a half, but it took
me three days longer ; which delay I did not regret, as I
travelled more at my ease, and was enabled to make col-
lections by the way, that I could not have done had I
accompanied them. On this day's journey I observed
that the country was gradually rising ; where visible, the
166 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
soil consisted of a reddish coloured clay^ but many laj^
tracts were covered with gravel, which gave them the ap-
pearance of having been at one time the bed of an im-
mense river. In other places beds of gneiss, fonning
elevated ridges were seen cropping out, the strata being
nearly vertical. About half an hour after we began our
journey, we passed a large lake on the left side of the road,
called Lagoa grande ; it is about a league long, and nearly
as much broad, and abounds in fish and wild duck. Car-
nahuba palms were now becoming less frequent, but they
were succeeded by a vegetation of a very opposite charac-
ter ; in situations somewhat sandy, a dwarf kind of Cassia
often occurs, as well as two or three species of Croton, but
these, in common with the herbaceous vegetation, were
already much scorched up; in the gravelly places the
principal production is a beautiful erect species of Evol-
vulus about a foot high, with small leaves and numerous
blue flowers, giving it much the appearance of the com-
mon flax. On the more elevated tracts, woods are seen con-
sisting of low trees and shrubs, principally a subarbo-
reous species of Mimosa^ and a Combretum ; these woods
are nearly all deciduous, the heat and drought producing
the same effect on their foUage, as the cold in northern
regions, these are called by the inhabitants Catin^as ; no
large trees are to be seen, but in the more open parts of
the country, a low wide-spreading species of the Chrysoba-
lanaceous tribe is not uncommon, affording shade not only
to travellers, but to the cattle which pasture in those
districts ; it was under one of these trees that we halted
during the heat of the day, and dined on part of a large
green lizard that I shot the evening before.
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 167
The remaiiider of our journey was through a countiy
very similar to that just described ; but a low evergreen
Zizj^Aus tree, and a few large species of Cactus now
gave a different (^aracter to the landscape. On the after-
noon of tlie 12th the appearance of the country was still
further diversified by our approach to a mountain range
about sixteen leagues in length, running in a direction
from S.W. to N.E.; this is called the Serra de Pereira, a
name derived from the number of trees of that name said
to grow on it. The appearance of this high land was a
great relief to the eye, after having been so long accus-
tomed to a nearly level country. On the same evening I
saw for the first time a troop of oxen with loads on their
backs ; there were about a dozen of them, all large and
well fed animals, going down to Aracaty with dried hides ;
such a sight was afterwards not uncommon. The further
we proceeded inland, the greater appeared to be the effect
of the drought ; and in consequence of this I added but
little to my botanical collections ; but among the few
plants that were in flower I observed a very fine species
of Angehnia {A. di/lora, Benth.) bearing long spikes of
lai^ blueish coloured flowers, and which is now common
in English gardens, raised from seeds which I sent home.
So Uttle are the birds here annoyed by man, that flocks
of pigeons of various sorts, parrots, paroquets, &c. re-
mained without stirring on the branches of the small trees
under which we passed ; and cranes of different species
as well as many other water birds, did not move from
the margins of the small lakes tiU the horses nearly
approached them ; the same was nearly the case with two
kinds of ravens, called by the inhabitants (javiao and
168 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Gaviao vermelho ; these latter exist in great numbers
living upon what carrion they pick up. While we were
resting during the heat of the day, I frequently took my
gun to shoot parrots and pigeons, which we stewed
for dinner, and were more relished than our usual fare
of dried beef, although the flesh of parrots is both
brown, dry, and tough. Some of the pigeons, as before
observed, are not larger than sparrows, and one of these
which frequently alights on the roofs of houses, may be
heard, particularly during the morning, calling gut most
distinctly " Togo pegou, Togo pegou " for hours together;
in Portuguese this means "the gun missed fire," an ap-
parently teazing exclamation of the bird, not unaptly
applied to the clumsy guns of the country people which
seldom take eflect. This I suspect is the same bird that
Waterton speaks of under the name of " Will-come-go."
Shortly before we reached the Villa de Ico, we met a party
of ladies and gentlemen, on horseback, and I was not a
httle surprised to see the manner in which the former
were mounted, an cavalier y which, in nine cases out of
ten, is the way in which females travel in the interior.
On my arrival at Ico my friends the Pintos had kindly
procured an uninhabited house for my reception ; in con-
sequence of the breaking down of the waggon which was
bringing up my trunks, &c., and other unforeseen causes,
I was detained at this place three weeks, which I the
more regretted, as my time could be turned to no useful
account, in consequence of the drought that prevailed in
the neighbourhood. The town of Ico, one of the most im-
portant in the interior of the province of Ceara, is situated
in a plain on the east of the Rio Jaguaribe, which here.
PEANAMBVCO TO CEATO. 169
however, takes the name of Bio Salgado ; it is said to
contain about 6000 inhabitants ; the plain is one of con-
siderable size, being bounded on the east by the Serra de
Pereira, and on the west by a much lower range of hills.
The town consists of three principal streets, running
nearly north and south, intersected by a number of
smaller ones. The houses are all built of brick, no tim-
ber of sufficient size being found in the neighbourhood ;
with the exception of about half a dozen, they are all of
one story, and white-washed with a kind of chalk found
abundantly in the hilly country thirty leagues to the west-
ward. The principal street is broad, and contains some
well-furnished shops ; it presents four handsome churches,
a substantial jail, and a market place, in which fresh beef,
dried beef, farinha, salt, rapadura, gourds, pine apples,
melons, water-melons, oranges, and limes, are every day
exhibited for sale ; the whole of these fruits are brought
from a distance, the immediate neighbourhood of the
town producing nothing whatever, the whole country
being dry and arid, except during the wet season, which
only lasts about four months. At a short distance are
seen a number of those low deciduous woods called
CatinyaSy but even these were destitute of leaves, and
there was nothing within sight deserving the name of a
tree ; the river also, which during the rains is of consider-
able size, judging from the appearance of its bed, was
now dry in many places, deep pools only being left here
and there, abounding with several sorts of fish, which,
however, are soon exhausted. Notwithstanding the num-
ber of inhabitants which this place contains, it cannot
boast of a single medical practitioner, but there are two
170 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
apothecaries, whose shops are well stocked with medi-
cines. The greater part of the inhabitants are shop-
keepers, who supply the interior with articles of European
manufacture, receiving produce in return, which they
send down to the coast.
A few days after I arrived here I was visited by most
of the respectable inhabitants of the place, and as their calls
were shortly returned, I soon gaiaed an extensive acquain-
tance. One of my most frequent visitors was an old
priest, who was very inquisitive regarding all that related
to England ; one of his first questions was whether 1 was
baptized or not, and in what faith? and when I told him
I was a Protestant, he replied, " Ah ! then you are a
Pagan." Such was his ignorance ! and this I found to
prevail with nearly all the inferior priests I met in the in-
terior of the northern provinces, and I had great difficulty
in convincing him that the fundamental principles of our
respective religions were alike ; after this, whenever I was
interrogated as to my religious faith, I answered by
simply saying I was a Christian, which entitled me to
respect. When it became known that I was a medical
man I had numerous appUcations for advice. The most
common complaints here, as elsewhere in Brazil, are chro-
nic disorders of the digestive organs, which often termi-
nate in dropsy and paralysis ; dysentry, pleurisy, and
ophthalmia are likewise not unfrequent, particularly during
the dry season, produced, no doubt, by the great dif-
ference of temperature between night and day, which
more readily takes effect on these people owing to the
very thin dresses which they wear ; in no case did I see
flannel worn next the skin, which is the best preventive
PEBNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 171
against sudden change of temperature. One of my pa-
tients was the lady of one of my Portuguese friends, who
was attended by her mother, and although her complaint
was a dangerous malady of which she afterwards died, the
greatest source of regret her parent expressed was the
state of leanness to which her daughter was reduced,
plumpness being considered the chief point of beauty in
the Brazilian fair. One of the greatest compliments that
can be paid a lady, is to tell her that she is becoming daily
fatter and more heaxitiM^maisfiorclaemais bomta)y in-
deed the greater portion of them soon acquire a ten-
dency to become so, firom the sedentary life they lead.
After remaining about a fortnight I made preparations
to leave Ico, as I wished as soon as possible to get up to
Crato, another town about one hundred and twenty miles
to the S.W., situated at the foot of the mountains which
divide the provinces of Ceara and Piauhy where I was
assured I should meet with abundance to reward my re-
searches, as the general temperature was much cooler,
and the country well watered with small streams from
the mountains. I purchased two additional horses, en-
gaged an experienced guide, and procured whatever was
necessary for the journey, when the following incident
occurred to prevent my departure. The day before that
fixed for our journey, one of my new horses disappeared
from the pasture in which it was feeding, if, indeed, a
little dried up grass could be so called ; as horse-stealing
is a very frequent crime in Brazil, I strongly suspected
that some one had made free with my animal, but I was
assured it had only strayed into a neighbouring Catinga
and would soon be found. I immediately despatched
172 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Pedro and another man well acquainted with the country,
in quest of it, but after two days search they could bring
me no satisfactory tidings. Having lost all hopes of
regaining it, I was about to purchase another, when a
man, who had been searching for two of his own stray
animals, told Pedro he had seen one answering the des-
cription of mine on the Serra de Pereira, about three
leagues distant; upon this Pedro and his companion
were again despatched in that direction, when they re-
turned in the evening bringing it with them ; they foimd
it on an elevated table land feeding along with an im-
mense number of the American Ostrich {Rhea Jmeri-
cand). This was the first of a series of annoyances I met
with during my future travels, fipom my horses either
straying or having been stolen ; an animal is firequently
taken away by some one who wishes to make a short jour-
ney, so that after a day or two it will be found in the place
whence it was taken ; at other times they are removed
and hidden for a few days, for the purpose of claiming a
reward ; and though I was frequently well assured of this
imposition, I never refused to pay the money, knowing I
should otherwise be worse off. All being now again ready
for leaving Ico, I took leave of all my friends, who gave
me their hearty wishes for a prosperous journey. The
evening before my departure many Uttle presents were
sent for my use during the journey, such as Uttle jars of
sweet-meats, biscuits of various sorts, prepared from
ground rice and Indian com, roasted fowls, &c. ; a custom
I found to be almost universal in the north of Brazil.
On the evening of the second day after leaving Ico, we
arrived at the Villa de Lavra de Mangabeira, which is
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 173
about ten leagues distant. A little beyond Ico the road
becomes very rough, frequently ascending and again des-
cending over rocky paths, on which account it is no longer
serviceable for the transit of waggons, all farther traffic
into the interior being now effected either on horseback
or, strange as it may appear, upon oxen. The diversity
of hill and dale renders this part of the journey less
mountainous, and although the herbaceous vegetation was
much destroyed by the heat, the greater part of the trees,
which are both large and more numerous, still retained
their leaves ; the most abundant tree that I observed was
called by the inhabitants Aroeira ; it is a species of Schi-
nus, perhaps S. Jroeira, St. Hil. and reaches to the
height of thirty or forty feet ; as the stem grows very
straight it is much used in house-bmlding ; at this time
it was destitute of leaves, but from the ends of its
branches were suspended clusters of small fruit of a dark
colour, giving it very much the appearance of the European
alder when covered with its dark-brown catkins. The
other trees consist chiefly of large Acacias and Mimosas,
Biffmmias of considerable size covered with yellow and
rose coloured flowers, a Triplaris, and, the most beautiful
of all, a large Jacaranda the wide-spreading branches of
which were densely covered with great panicles of beauti-
ful large blue flowers, not unlike those of the no less
splendid Gloxinia speciosa ; among these sometimes ap-
pear a few soUtary Camahuba palms, but in hollow
sheltered places they often occur in groups ; large Cacti
are not uncommon, and we passed over some elevated
open shrubby tracts abounding in a species of Krameria.
The Villa de Lavra de Mangabeira is situated on the
174 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
banks of the Bio Salgado, and contains about eighty or a
hundred houses^ all small, and many of them falling to
decay. Gold is found in the neighbourhood, in a dark
coloured alluvial soil a little below the surface ; from time
to time washings have been estabUshed, which have never
yielded satisfactory results ; the most extensive of these
was undertaken about two years before my arrival. The
President of the province and some others having formed
themselves into a company, sent for two English miners
to conduct the operations ; they continued their labours
to within two months previously, when the work was
abandoned. About a year afterwards I met with one of
these miners in a far distant part of the country, and
from him I learned that the gold exists in too small quan-
tities to repay the cost of its extraction ; scarcity of water
at times was also another drawback. Here I found,
growing in vast quantities on the sandy margins of the
river, a species of Grangeay which is a powerful bitter,
used by the natives as an infusion in dyspeptic cases in
the same manner as chamomile, which, indeed, it much
resembles, and to which they give the same name
ijinacella).
We left Lavra on the afternoon of the same day on
which we arrived, and halted for the night at a small
house near the river. On the following morning as we
were advancing quietly, one of the horses struck its load
against a tree, by which means it was thrown off ; thus
disencumbered it ran away at fuU speed among the trees,
and was soon followed by the remainder, who in like
manner quickly rid themselves of their cargoes ; an hour
was thus lost in recapturing and replacing the loads, and
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 175
even while this was doing, one of the animals laid down
and began to roD, first breaking the cords by which his
burden was held on, and thus a second time freeing him-
self. I mention this, as an instance of one of the many
annoyances to which a traveller in such countries is liable ;
in these respects horses are more unmanageable than
mules. In the northern provinces of Brazil, however, the
latter animals are very seldom seen, notwithstanding they
have been frequently tried, large troops of them having
been brought from the south. All being finally arranged,
we continued our journey, and about mid-day arrived at a
house on the bank of the river, near the roadside, where I
asked permission as usual to pass the middle of the day,
but we were told we should meet with better accommoda-
tion half a league farther on; this was the first time I met
with a refusal, and I can only recollect one other similar
instance during all my travels. After proceeding about a
league without the appearance of any house, we halted
under some large trees close to the river, where I deter-
mined to remain for the night, as the horses had under-
gone a long morning's journey. In the evening I took a
walk in the neighbourhood, but met with nothing new
except a species oiMikania clinging among the branches
of a Mimosa ; and a few shells in the bed of the river.
Between this place and Lavra, the course of the river is
very tortuous, and being now very nearly dried up, I ob-
served that the inhabitants had planted melons, water-
melons, gourds, &c. in it 5 bananas were now beginning
to be cultivated, and almost every house had its own
Kttle cotton and tobacco plantation. Every where Arge-
mone Meadcana, the Cardo Santo of the Brazilir.ns, grows
176 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
in great plenty, the large yellow poppy-like flowers being
very beautiful ; a handful of the leaves of this plant,
together with about a quarter of an ounce of the ripe
seeds infused, is used as a draught in jaundice. It was a
beautiful evening when I retired to my hammock, which
was suspended between two trees, but I had not been
long asleep when I was awoke by a strange rattling noise
among the trees, that I soon found to be caused by a
heavy shower approaching from the south, which very
shortly fell upon our encampment in torrents ; we were
unprepared for such an occurrence, it being then the height
of the dry season, and were quickly drenched ; my ham-
mock soon became too uncomfortable to he in, so I got up,
wrapt myself in my poncho, and sat down on one of the
pack-saddles by the extinguished fire; I unfortimately
had no umbrella to afford any shelter, having lost it two
days before, at a place where I had dismounted to collect
some beetles. The rain continued for about two hours,
and not being able to go to bed again, every thing being
soaked, I was obliged to remain seated in this position
till daybreak, when, after arranging all our humid articles
in the best manner, we proceeded on our journey. The
morning though cloudy was dry, and there was a feeUng
of freshness in the atmosphere such as I had not felt
since we left the coast; we travelled for nearly a league
before we came to a house, so that instead of being only
half a league distant from where we were refused accom-
modation on the previous day, I found it was nearly two ;
we went on two leagues farther, without meeting ano-
ther habitation, so we halted during the middle of the
day beneath some large Jatoba {Hymenaa) trees. This
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 177
part of the country is very thinly populated, the greater
part of the soil being of a gravelly nature, is neither
adapted for cultivation, even were water abundant, nor
for feeding cattle. It is besides very hilly, some of the
ranges being the highest we had yet passed over ; from
the top of one of the elevations I obtained a fine view of
the undulating thinly-wooded country below ; scattered
here and there were to be seen large pink or yellow Biff-
nonias, or the azure-blossomed Jacaranda, raising their
magnificent diadems above the other denizens of the
wood ; and an occasional plant of Cochlospermum %erra-
tifolium, loaded also with its large and beautiful yellow
flowers, attracts the attention of the traveller. The rocks
which I observed during this ride were of a grey coloured
clay-slate.
We had not travelled more than half a league in the
afternoon, when we were again overtaken by rain, and
although the shower lasted but half an hour, it was so
heavy, that in a short time water was rushing over the
roads, running like streams, and where they were of a
clayey nature, especially on the declivity of the hills, they
became very slippery. Having carried my poncho beneath
my saddle, I put it on, when my appearance caused no
little astonishment to some countrymen who passed us, that
article of dress being quite unknown among them. It is,
however, far superior to their leathern jackets, which are not
only uncomfortably warm, by confining the natural exhala-
tions firom the body, but soon become soaked in case of
rain, and are long drying, whilst with the poncho and
my long boots I was nearly dry when the rain ceased.
The rocks seen in the latter of part this day's journey
N
178 TRAVELS IN BEAZIL.
were a rather coarse-grained white sandstone, similar to
those I met with on the coast between the Rio de San
Francisco and Pemambuco. In many places this rock
was exposed to a considerable extent, its only vegetation
being a few species of Cactus and Bromelia. In the
wooded portions, the atmosphere was loaded with the
rich perfume of the flowers of the Cashew tree {Anacar-
dium occidentale), which grew in great profusion. This
was the first time I met with this tree at any distance
from the coast, but I afterwards found it was not un-
common in the interior. The fruit, however, or rather
the thickened peduncle which forms the esculent part, is
small, not being much larger than a cherry. Towards
dusk we halted at a place where there were two houses,
but we could not be accommodated iu consequence of two
large troops having taken up their quarters before our
arrival. As the next habitation was nearly two leagues
further, and as the roads were said to be bad, I decided on
remaining here and encamping under a wide-spreading
Casalpinia which grew close by the roadside. Shortly after
I had arranged everything for the night, a permission came
from one of the houses to sling my hammock there, but I
declined this invitation, not considering it prudent to sepa-
rate myself from my luggage ; this step was rendered the
more necessary in consequence of a quarrel between
Pedro and the guide ; the latter was recommended to me
as a very useful person for the journey, but he turned
out to be a lazy talkative fellow, quite the reverse of
Pedro, who was both active and intelligent. The quarrel
originated from the guide refusing to attend to some
duty while the horses were being unloaded, and, notwith-
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 179
standing my interference, it ran so high that they threat-
ened to stab each other, the usual way of settling disputes
in this lawless country ; on taking the horses to pasture
they were still talking furiously, and I felt not a little
uneasy till they returned. The evening was dark and had
all the appearance of rain, but when the moon rose, it
cleared up, and became a beautiful night. My hammock
and poncho were both too wet to sleep in, so I had to lie
down on the top of two trunks for my bed, with my
saddle for a pillow, near a large fire we had previously
kindled.
On the following morning, the eighth of September,
we continued our journey, and at eleven o'clock halted
under some trees by the river side. Our route was
through a richer country than any I had yet seen in the
province, it being well wooded with large trees, the
greater part of which were in leaf ; near the houses, which
appeared more numerous than hitherto, grew large plan-
tations of cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane and mandiocca.
On the branches of a large tree by the road side I col-
lected the first Orchideous plant I had seen during the
journey ; a long round-leaved kind of Oncidium. The
tree on which it grew was the TJmari {Geoffroya 9up€rba\
but only on the under side of the branches, the long
leaves hanging down like so many whips, intermingled
with its large panicles of yeUow flowers. It is called by
the natives of the Sertao " Rabo de Tatii,'* from the re-
semblance of the leaves to the tail of the Armadillo.
Shortly after we halted, I went out with my gun
in search of something for dinner, but could find only
Parroquets, which were very numerous, fljong from tree to
N 2
180 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tree, and keeping up an almost continued cry of Parro-
quet — ^Parroquet. I fired at some which were seated on
a tall tree, and one of those which fell being only wounded,
kept up a continued scream whenever I attempted to
approach it ; this being heard by its companions, several
hundreds of them again returned to the tree, and having
once more fired among them, they were again brought
back by the screams of the dying, nor did they cease to
re-appear in the same manner till I had killed more than
was sufficient for us all to eat. On the afternoon of this
day we travelled about two leagues, and rested at a small
sugar plantation, (Engenho de Rapadura). It being the
day of San Gonzalvo, the people were dancing and making
merry before the house ; I obtained leave from the owner
to let me pass the night in the mill, two sides of which
were open. On alighting from my horse I laid down my
straw hat, containing a sDk pocket-handkerchief, on an
old log of wood, close to the owner of the mill, but in
less than half an hour afterwards, when all my things
had been moved inside the boiling house, the handkerchief
had disappeared : no one except my own men and the
proprietor had been near us, so that I had every reason
to beheve the latter had pilfered it, but I did not think
proper to take notice of it. This was not the only theft
committed here before the morning, for when the horses
were being loaded, Pedro discovered that a sack contain-
ing my large botanical tin box, and a sheep-skin bag,
containing all belonging to him, were not to be found ;
it had been taken away from my luggage close to my
hammock, while we were asleep. The poor fellow, as
might be expected, was greatly annoyed at his loss, and
PSRNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 181
it was fortunate, that previously to leaving Ico I had re-
moved a number of my most useful articles from the box
to one of my trunks ; I had just discovered my loss, when
the owner came down to consult me concerning a com-
plaint under which he laboured, but I was too much
exasperated to accede to his wishes ; he expressed much
regret for our loss, and said it was the first time any
traveller had been pilfered who had put up at his house.
We had not proceeded on our joum^ more than a quarter
of a league, when Pedro told me he would return to the
mill and endeavour to recover his clothes, from which I
could not dissuade him ; the guide and I, therefore, went
on alone, and at a distance of three leagues, halted under
the shade of a large tree near some small houses. Pedro
returned at two in the afternoon bringing his bag with
him, and my botanical box, but not the handkerchief;
upon his arrival, he took me aside, and told me that just
before returning in the morning, a thought struck him
that our guide might have been the thief, and if so, that
the things would be hidden somewhere near the su-
gar-mill ; it was this conviction that induced him to return,
and the result proved he was right, for, after an hour's
search, in which he was assisted by the people of the place,
he discovered my box hidden among some bushes, and
his bag buried under the earth at a little distance. I
have no doubt that the guide was the thief of all the ar-
ticles, and had hidden them until his return to Ico. He
looked rather confused when Pedro returned, and my
first thought was to give him an immediate dismissal
without payment, but upon reflexion I resolved to take
no notice of the matter, knowing the revengeful nature
182 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of these people ; I was sorry however, for the incautious
manner in which I had treated the proprietor of the mill.
The large tree under which we rested was the first I had
seen of a kind that is very common about Crato ; it is
called Yisgeira by the inhabitants, and is the Parkiapla-
tycephala of Bentham ; it has a very thick stem, and
wide-spreading branches, which in some instances nearly
reach the ground ; the wood is soft and brittle, and con-
sequently not of much value.
On the same evening, after a journey of two leagues
and a half we reached Villa de Crato ; the road all the
way was level and sandy, the country on the south side
was well wooded with large trees, while the north, which
is much flatter, was principally planted with sugar-cane,
and several houses were seen at very short intervals, each
with a mill and a boiUng-house attached to it, for the
purpose of converting the juice of the cane into Rapadura.
The Camahuba is here replaced by another kind of palm
called Macahuba {Acrocomia sclerocarpay Mart.), which
rises to about the same height, but has pinnated leaves,
and a stem which instead of being of the same thickness
throughout, swells out considerably above the middle,
and is exactly the same species as one very common about
Pemambuco ; along with this grows another species
much resembling the cocoa-nut in its height and foliage,
but with a much thicker stem ; the nuts which are about
the size of apples, are produced in large clusters ; it is
a species of Attalea^ and is here called Palmeira. It is
impossible to express the delight I experienced on enter-
ing this comparatively rich and smiling district, after a
ride of more than three hundred miles through a country
PE&NAMBI7C0 TO CRATO. 183
which at that season was little better than a desert ; the
evening was one of the most beautiful I ever remember
to have seen, the sun was setting in great splendour be-
hind the Serra de Araripe, a long range of hills about a
league to the westward of the Villa, but the freshness of
this region seemed to deprive its rays of that burning
heat which shortly before sunset is so oppressive to the
traveller in the lower country. The beauty of the night,
the cool and reviving feeling of the atmosphere, and the
richness of the landscape, so different from what I had
lately seen, aQ tended to produce a buoyancy of spirit
such as only the lover of nature can experience, and which
I vainly vrished might prove enduring, as I felt not only
at ease with myself, but " at peace with all below".
It was dark before we entered the Villa, but I soon
foimd the house of a respectable shopkeeper, Senhor
Erancisco Dios Azede e Mello, to whom I brought letters
of recommendation. I was requested to enter the sitting
room, where I found myself in the midst of more than a
dozen ladies, all squatting on the floor on mats, and
among them was the lady of the house, who, as usual, put
many questions to me respecting myself and my country ;
I discovered that these visitors had come to condole the
lady on the loss of her husband's father, who had died
on the previous day. Although within the more respect-
able houses in the Sertao, as the interior is called, chairs
aife to be seen in their principal room, they are seldom
made use of, as the hammock (rede) is the favourite seat
of the women, who are seldom out of it except at meal-
time ; in it, as upon the mat, they sit upright with their
legs folded beneath them, and their principal occupation
184 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
during the day is smoking, eating sweetmeats and drink-
ing cold water ; it is generally slung so as to reach within
about a foot and a half of the ground, when it answers
all the purposes of a sofa, and often more than one person
may be observed seated on the same hammock ; at night
it is commonly preferred to a bed, for which purpose, on
account of its being much cooler, it is very generally used,
and for which I can vouch from my own experience, as for
three years I seldom slept out of one. They are generally
made of a sort of strong cotton cloth manufactured by the
inhabitants, and are either white, or white and blue, this
colour being given by a dye which they prepare from a
kind of wild indigo plant that grows abundantly in the
neighbourhood ; they are always made broader than long,
which allows a person to he in them diagonally, and
hence more horizontally than if they were narrower ; they
have the advantage, however, of requiring no bedding,
further than a thin blanket for a covering in the cool
season, or a sheet in hot weather. Before I left Ico, one
of the Pintos wrote to Senhor Mello asking him to pro-
cure a house for me on my arrival in Crato, but the only
one he could obtain was a Uttle dwelling attached to a
shop, neither being in very good condition : however, it
answered my purpose very well for the time, but I was
obliged to look out for another residence in about six
weeks, when it was required to be pulled down, in order
that a new one might be erected in its stead ; with some
trouble I found two rooms which I hired at the rate of
about five shillings a month, and where I remained till I
left the place. My only furniture consisted of two chairs
which Senhor Mello had the kindness to send me, an old
PERNAMBUCO TO CEATO. 185
packing-box that served as a table, and of course my
hammock was my bed. The day after my arrival in Crato
a report was spread through the town that I was a tra-
velling merchant who had arrived there with goods for
sale, and in the course of the day I had numerous visits
from ladies who wished to look over my merchandize,
and who were not a little astonished when I told them
I had none ; this was not the only time I was mistaken
for a merchant, indeed after leaving Crato the same mis-
take occurred at almost every house and viQage I arrived
at, which is not surprising, as the number of people who
travel in the interior from house to house, and from town
to town, either selling European goods, or exchanging
them for horses or cattle, is very great.
Tlie Villa de Crato is situated thirty-two leagues to
the S. W. of Ico, and nearly in the same parallel as Per-
nambuco, from which it is distant in a direct line about
three hundred miles ; it is a small and sufficiently mise-
rable town, being about one third the size of Ico. It is
very irregularly built, and the houses, with only one ex-
ception, are of a single story ; it contains two churches
and a jail, but one of the former has never been finished,
and has remained so long in this state, that it has all the
appearance of one that has fallen into decay. The jail is
likewise iu so ruined a state as scarcely to deserve the
name of a prison, although there are generally a few cri-
minals confined in it ; it was guarded by two soldiers who
performed their duty so easily, that in passing I seldom
saw them otherwise occupied than either in playing cards
or sleeping in the shade of the building ; a seijeant who
was confined during my stay in this place for disobedience
186 TRAVSLS IN BBAZIL.
to his officer, was known almost every night to get out
by one of the windows, which have only wooden bars,
when after sleeping in his own house, he returned to
spend the day in prison. The whole population amounts
probably to about two thousand, the greater part of whom
are either Indians or their mixed descendants ; the more
respectable portion of the inhabitants are Brazilians, who
for the most part are shopkeepers ; but how the poorer
races gain a Uvelihood I am at a loss to determine. The
inhabitants of this part of the province, who are generally
known by the Indian appellation of Caryris, are celebrated
throughout Brazil for their lawless character ; it formerly
used to be, and still is, though not to the same extent, a
place of refuge to murderers and vagabonds of all sorts
from other parts of the country, and although it contains
a justice of the peace, a Juiz de Direito, and other offi-
cials of the law, they possess but httle power, and even
if that Uttle be exercised, they run great risk of falling
under the knife of the assassin ; several murderers were
pointed out to me, who walked about quite openly. The
principal danger to which they are exposed, is from the
friends of the person they have murdered, who follow
them to a great distance, and lose no opportunity of seek-
ing their revenge. The state of morality generally among
the inhabitants of Crato is at a very low ebb, card playing
is the principal occupation during the day, when in fine
weather groups of all classes, from those called the great
people (gente grande) to the lowest, may be observed
seated on the pavement on the shaded side of the street
deeply employed in gambling; the more respectable
generally play for dollars, the poorer either for copper
PKBNAMBUCO TO C&ATO. 187
money, or more commonly make use of lai^ spotted
beans in lieu of counters ; quarrels on these occasions are
of course very common, which are not unfrequently set-
tled with the knife. Scarcely any of the better class live
with their wives : a few years after their marriage, they
generally turn them out of the house to live separately,
and replace them by young women who are willing to
supply their place without being bound by the ties of
matrimony. In this manner these people have two houses
to keep up, among others who are living in this condition
I may mention the Juiz de Direito, the Juiz dos Orfaos,
and most of the larger shop-keepers ; such a state of im-
morality is not to be wondered at, when the conduct of
the clergy is taken into consideration, the vicar (vigario),
who was then an old man between seventy and eighty
years of age, is the father of six natural children, one of
whom was educated as a priest, afterwards became Presi-
dent of the province, and was then a senator of the
Empire, although still retaining his clerical title. During
my stay in Crato he arrived there on a visit to his father,
bringing with him his mistress, who was his own cousin,
and eight children out of ten he had by her, having at
the same time five other children by another woman, who
died in child-bed of the sixth. Besides the vigario there
were three other priests in the town, all of whom have
families by women with whom they live openly, one of
them being the wife of another person.
I lived about five months among these people, but in
no other part of Brazil, even during a much shorter resi-
dence, did I live on less terms of intimacy with them or
make fewer friends ; besides Senhor Mello, the only indi-
188 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
vidual whose house I visited frequently, was another son
of the old vicar, Capitao Joao Gonzalvez, who was the
proprietor of a sugar (Rapadura) plantation, about two
leagues below the town. I first made his acquaintance
from his having consulted me about his wife, who was
labouring under chronic ophthalmia ; he was a man of
an amiable and excellent disposition, and I still look back
with pleasure on the hours spent in his house. The eyes
of the lady improved much under my treatment, and as
she was very communicative and good-natured, we had
many long conversations about the manners and customs
of our respective countries. The family consisted of two
daughters, one of whom was married, and Uved at a place
I afterwards visited about sixteen leagues distant; the
younger one, a fine girl about sixteen years of age, was
very shy in making her appearance, so that I did not see
her during my first two or three visits ; but as her mother
afterwards told me, her curiosity to see and speak with
an Englishman, at length completely got the better of her
reserve, so that afterwards she always appeared when
I was there. She was then about to be married to a
younger brother of her sisters husband, having been
betrothed to him for many years : it is indeed seldom
that the daughters of respectable famihes are allowed
the power of choosing a husband for themselves, the
parents- always taking care to make the arrangements in
such cases.
At this plantation I had often an opportunity of seeing
the manner in which Rapadura is made ; the expression
and boiling of the juice are performed at the same time ;
the mill is of very clumsy construction, consisting of a
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 189
frame-work containing three vertical wooden rollers
through which the cane is passed to express the juice,
which is collected in a receiver below, where it runs into
a trough that had been hollowed out of a large tree.
The cane requires to be passed three times through the
mill before the whole of the juice is expressed : from
this trough a portion of the juice is conveyed from time
to time into small brass boiling pans, of which there were
nine, all placed close beside each other over small openings
in the top of an arched furnace, and during the different
stages of the operation, as the evaporation proceeds, the
juice is poured from one pan into the other, till in the last
it acquires the desired consistency ; it is then transferred
into a large tub, hollowed out of soUd wood, called a
Gamella, and is allowed to cool for some time, when it is
finally run out into wooden moulds about the size and
shape of our common bricks, although some are made
about half this size ; after being removed from the moulds,
they are allowed to harden for some days, when they are
fit for the market ; the larger size sell at Crato for about
a penny each, in Ico for three halfpence, and in Aracaty
for twopence each.
Sugar-cane, mandiocca, rice and tobacco are the prin-
cipal articles cultivated in Crato. The ordinary tropical
fruit trees grow in and around the town, such as the
orange, the lime, the lemon, the banana, the mango, the
papaw, the jack, the bread-fruit, and the cashew ; grapes,
pine-apples, melons and water-melons, are also commonly
cultivated, these fruits are sold very cheap, thus, oranges
a penny per dozen, pine-apples, large and of a fine flavour,
two-pence each, and large melons may be had at the same
190 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
price. The country gradually rises from Crato towards
the S.W. till it reaches the base of the Serra de Araripe,
an elevated table land forming a semicircle round the
undulatory plain in which the town is situated ; this
Serra is from one and a half to two leagues distant frt)m
Crato, and from the numerous springs that rise from its
base, may be attributed the great fertility of this part of
the Sertao, the small streams from which are diverted in
a thousand directions for the purpose of irrigation. At
present but a small portion of this fertile district is cul-
tivated, although it would amply repay such labour ; the
vicinity being but thinly populated, and the habits of the
natives extremely indolent ; with very little trouble they
can raise all that is necessary to support life, and seem to
care for nothing beyond this. Their dress is of the most
simple description, and consequently not expensive ; when
however, the population becomes more numerous, and
civiUzation shall have multiphed their wants, this district
will assuredly prove a rich and valuable part of the pro-
vince ; the greatest drawback to it is the want of any other
than land communication with the coast. The union of
the little streams which flow from the Serra de Araripe
forms a rivulet that passes close to the town of Crato,
and affords an abundant supply of excellent clear water
to the inhabitants at all seasons ; it offers also some deep
pools that serve as bathing places, a luxury in which they
are very fond of indulging, especially during the hot
season.
During my residence at this place I made many excur-
sions in the neighbourhood, but the Serra de Araripe
proved the best field for my researches, I spent several
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 191
days at different times, in exploring its ravines, sides and
summit, every trip yielding me large supplies of new and
rare plants. The greater portion of the wooded districts
around Crato consists of deciduous trees and shrubs,
forming what are called Catingas, but in low moist local-
ities, and along the base of the Serra, a great many of the
trees are evergreen ; one of the most common denizens
of the Catingas is the Maffonia glabrata^ St. Hil., which
is here truly gregarious, covering large tracts for miles to
the exclusion of almost everything else ; in general it is
a tree from thirty to forty feet high, but at full growth it
often attains a much greater stature. Like many of the
other inhabitants of the Catingas, its flowers appear before
the leaves, they are in large panicles, of a greenish yeUow
colour, and of very sweet scent ; it is called Tingi by the
natives, who apply it to many useful purposes ; an infu-
sion of the bark of the root is employed to poison fish,
and that of the stem to cure old ulcers. The fruit is a
large diy triangular capsule filled with broad flat seeds,
from the kernels of which a kind of soap is manufactured ;
the manner in which they make it is this ; after haviag
taken off the brown membrane which covers the seeds,
they are put into a tub of water to steep for some time,
when the cotyledons begin to swell and soften, the thin
skin which still covers them is easily taken off, and they
are then put into a pot along with a small portion of
tallow; by boiling and stirring them they soon form a ho-
mogeneous mass, which, when cool, is said to answer very
well for washing clothes. Another tree which grows in
similar situations, is a species of Caryocar^ that pre-
sents a fine appearance when covered with its large
192 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
corymbs of yellow flowers ; the fruit, which was not ripe
during my stay, is said to be excellent when cooked, and
its hard wood is of great use as timber in the construc-
tion of mills. The Visgeira, abready mentioned, and the
Timbahuba, are also two large trees of the neighbourhood,
the latter belongs to the Mimosa tribe, producing lai^e
round heads of yellowish flowers, and a broad legume
curved round so as to resemble a horse shoe. A kind of
small deer that much frequents the woods is very fond of
this fruit, and is often watched for at night at the season
when the fruit falls, being discovered by the rattling
noise which the seeds make within the pod when trodden
upon. The Jatoba, a species of HymencBay is another
large tree of common occurrence, as also the Arigelitn, a
large and beautiful species of the genus Andira\ two
Bignonias of considerable size are also common in the
distant woods, one with purple, the other with yellowish
flowers, but owing to the durability and hardness of their
timber, which is much sought after by the natives for the
construction of mills and carts, they are not allowed to
attain any great size near the town of Crato. Besides
these there are many other trees of smaller size, among
which may be mentioned the Pao de Jangada {Apeiba
Tibourbou)y and one of frequent occurrence, and con-
spicuous form its large prickly capsules ; on the coast
its wood afibrds the material for the raft-boats before
described, so commonly in use there. A species of Byr-
soneina, a Calliatheney a Gornphiay and a ViteXy are all
remarkably beautiful when in blossom. When planks
are required in most, indeed I may say in all parts of the
Sertao, there is a sad waste of timber, for to obtain one
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 193
an entire tree is chopped on both sides until it is reduced
to the exact size required.
A number of wild fruits are found in the Catingas,
among these are the Mangaba, already spoken of as
very common about Pemambuco, the Guava, the Ara?a,
and also, but only on the top of the Serra, a nearly alUed
species called Marangaba ; it is the Psidium pigmeum of
Arrudo, a shrub from one to two feet high, the fruit of
which is about the size of a gooseberry, and is greatly
sought after on account of its delicious flavour, which
resembles that of the strawberry. The woods in the
immediate neighbourhood of the town produce a fruit
called Pusa, which belongs to a new species of Mouriria
{M. Puady Gardn.), it is about the size of a small plum,
of a black colour, and resembles very much in taste the
fruit of the Jaboticaba {Eugenia cauliflora, DC.) of the
south of Brazil ; when in season it is brought to the town
and carried through the streets for sale, by the Indians.
The Cashew is also very common, but the eatable portion
of the fruit is smaller and not so well tasted as that
which grows along the coast.
One day, near the Serra de Araripe, I passed an en-
campment of Gipsies consisting of about a dozen men,
women and children ; these people are not uncommon in
the interior of Brazil, for I either met with them, or
heard of them in almost every town I visited ; they are
generally disliked by the common people, but are encou-
raged by the more wealthy, as was the case on the
present occasion, for they were encamped beneath some
large trees near the house of a Major in the national
guards, who is the proprietor of a large cane plantation
194 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
at the foot of the Serra ; although of a darker colour,
they have quite the same features as the Gipsies of
Great Britain, many both of the young men and women
being very handsome ; they seldom come near the large
towns of the coast, preferring more thinly inhabited,
and consequently more lawless districts; they wander
from farm to farm, and from village to village, buying,
selhng and exchanging horses, and various articles of
jewellery ; like those of Europe they are often accused of
stealing horses, fowls, or whatever they can lay their
hands upon ; the old women tell fortunes, in which they
are much encouraged by the young ladies of the places
they visit. Although they speak Portuguese like the
other inhabitants of the country, among themselves they
always make use of their own language, always in-
termarry, are said to pay no attention to the rehgious
observances of the country, nor to use any form of worship
of their own ; they are called Ciganos by the Brazilians.
Just about the time that the Gypsies made their appear-
ande near Crato, one of my horses was missed from its
pasturage, and it was strongly suspected they had carried
it off, but in this instance at least, they were wrongly
accused, for I have good reason to believe that the person
who made free with it, was a Fazendeiro who was very
anxious to purchase it from me only a day or two before
it was stolen, just as he. was on the eve of returning
from Crato to his Engenho many leagues to the westward ;
as it had my own brand upon one of its hind legs, and
as it was well known about the neighbourhood that it
had disappeared, I was assured by the justice of the peace
that it would ultimately be found, and he was right, for
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 195
about six weeks afterwards, it was found in a wood about
three leagues from the town, but instead of being an
animal in fine condition, it was now little better than
skin and bone ; the person who took it, was one Jose
Pereira de HoUanda, a man whose character was not held
in much estimation, and by whom it had been used to
hunt down cattle on his estate.
During my stay in Crato the festival of our Lady of
Cionception was celebrated; great rejoicings were kept
up for nine days previously, the expenses of which were
defrayed by the different individuals appointed to con-
duct it ; during the whole period of the Novena, as it
is called, the few soldiers stationed in the town kept up
an almost continued fire, both day and night ; so that with
this, and the processions, illuminations, and discharges of
fireworks, and of small cannon in front of the church,
the Villa was one continued scene of uproar. As the last
night was said to be the finest of all, I w«nt about seven
o'clock to the church, before which a number of flags
were flying on poles, and two large bonfires blazing ;
on the terrace before the sacred edifice, an immense
crowd had assembled, and about half a dozen soldiers
were from time to time discharging their muskets ; at a
little distance, a band of musicians were playing, consis-
ting of two fifers, and two drummers, but the music they
produced was of the most wretched description ; there
was also a display of fireworks, quite in keeping with the
music. The church inside was brilliantly illuminated,
and almost full, but I was surprised to see that nearly
the whole of the congregation consisted of females, they
were all dressed in white, or at least with a white kind of
o2
196 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
mantilla over their head and shoulders. On the following
day a little before dusk, a large procession, consisting
entirely of men, passed through the various streets,
figures of the Virgin and her Son being carried in great
pomp ; the three priests of the Villa, together with the
Visitador, or deputy of the Bishop, who was then on his
usual triennial tour through the villages and towns of the
province, walked under a scarlet canopy. The whole af-
fair was wound up on the succeeding afternoon (Sunday)
by exhibitions on the tight-rope, and a dance of masque-
raders, in front of the church.
The mean temperature of Crato is much lower than
that of Ico, it is not considered so healthy as the latter
place, for the heat during the day is nearly as great,
although the nights are much colder. Ophthalmia is
truly endemic, and, during some part of the year, few
escape its effects, I had an attack which confined me to
the house for several days. Many persons suffering from
the disease in its chronic state, consulted me, and I
gained no little reputation from having either cured or
much alleviated the symptoms in most of the cases that
presented themselves, even when the complaint had been
of long standing ; blindness is a very common result, and
nowhere have I seen a greater number of blind people
than in this district ; secondary syphilitic complaints are
also very common, and many are the miserable wretches
which they have here produced ; in such cases, mercury
is very seldom employed for the primary sjnmptoms, these
being generally cured by a species of Croton, commonly
known by the name of Velame ; it is used both exter-
nally and internally with some effect, but under this
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO. 1 97
treatment sooner or later the secondary symptoms make
their appearance, under some one or other of their protean
forais. A residence of but a short time in the interior
of Brazil, would soon convince those medical men who
would cure these complaints without mercury, of the
danger of such treatment.
CHAPTER VI.
CEABA CONTINUED.
Beaaoiis for delaying journey into the Interior — ^Visits, meanwhile, dif-
ferent places in the Vicinity of Crato — Crosses the Serra de Araripe
— ^Reaches Cajazeira — Arrives at Barra do Jardim — ^Description of
that Town and Neighbourhood — Meets with an interesting deposit
of Fossil fishes — Geological character of the Country — ^Detects a veiy
extensive range of Chalk formation — ^First discovery of such Beds in
South America — The accompanying formation described — This
range of Mountains encircles the vast Plain comprising the Provinces
of Piauhy and Maranham — Arrives at Magape — Great religious
Festival on Christmas day — ^Meets with an accident — ^Visits also
Novo Mundo — ^Discovers other deposits of Fossil Fishes near these
places — ^Vegetable productions along the Taboleira — Different Tribes
of uncivilized Indians in that Neighbourhood — Curious account of
the fanatical sect of the Sebastianistas — Their extravagant belief —
Commit human sacrifices — ^Their destruction and dispersion — Ke-
tums to Crato.
I found on my arrival at Crato that it would be neces-
sary to remain there longer than I had previously antici-
pated, owing to the desert state of the country, in the
dry season, between it and Oeiras, the capital of the pro-
vince of Piauhy, at which time water and grass are so
scarce, that only those well acquainted with the country
would undertake this journey ; I was therefore strongly
recommended to defer leaving Crato till the rains should
set in, to which advice I was the more willing to listen.
CEARA. 199
finding that district a very good field for my botanical
researches, and knowing well, moreover, that a journey to
Oeiras at that time would yield very little. It was now
the beginning of December, and the rains were not ex-
pected to set in till the beginning of February. Having
pretty well exhausted the neighbourhood of Crato, I de-
termined to visit in the interim a small town about six-
teen leagues distant, called Villa da Barra do Jardim,
being the more desirous to spend some time at that place
in order to search for a deposit of fossil fishes which
were reported to exist in the neighbourhood. My friend
Capitao Joao Gonsalvez gave me letters to his relation
Capitao Antonio da Cruz, the principal person in the
place, and on the afternoon of the eleventh of December
I left Crato. The road for the first five leagues runs
nearly eastward along the Serra de Araripe, and after
having accomplished four of them, we halted for the night
about eight o'clock, at a little village called Cajazeira ;
on enquiring for a place where we might pass the night,
it being then quite dark, we were directed to a shed used
for the preparation of farinha, which besides being open
all round, was but indiflferently roofed; this, however,
proved a better shelter than a large tree under which we
first thought of encamping, for about midnight we were
awakened by a tremendous peal of thunder that broke right
over us. The storm continued with more or less violence
for nearly half an hour, and was followed by a very heavy
shower of rain, which caused me no inconvenience as
my hammock was slung under a comparatively well-roofed
part, although Pedro and the guide were soon obliged to
change their quarters. On our arrival we found the vil-
200 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
lage illuminated with several bonfires, and there was also
much firing and other rejoicings, occasioned by the pre-
sence of the Visitador who reached this place during the
day, intending to proceed to Barra do Jardim on the fol-
lowing morning. It was seven o'clock before we could
resume our journey, and in an hour's time we reached
the foot of the Serra with the view of crossing it, but we
first halted for a short time in order to take some break-
fast, being informed that neither houses nor water were
to be met with during the next eight leagues of the jour-
ney. At a distance of half an hour's ride from Cajazeira
we met a number of well-dressed horsemen, one of whom
finding on enquiry that I was the English Botanist about
to visit Jardim, told me that his name was Gouvea; that
he had heard of my intended visit firom his friends in
Crato, to which place he was then going, intending to
return in the course of a few days. From him I also
learned that his companions had come to meet the Visi-
tador and escort him to Jardim ; in half an hour's time
they all passed us on their return, in company with the
prelate, and soon afterwards the Visitador's troop over-
took us, consisting of eight pr nine horses, one of which
was loaded with water for the journey across the Tabo-
leira, as all elevated flat tracts are called in the interior.
The water was carried in large leathern bags, and as I had
not as yet provided myself with such an apparatus, I was
contented with purchasing a number of oranges, and a few
pieces of sugar cane, as very palatable substitutes, and
on a short journey easily carried. The Serra is scarcely
so high here as it is at Crato, but the ascent is very rug-
ged, and in several places very steep. About half an
CEARA. 201
hour after we descended -the Serra we passed the Visi-
tador and his party, all lying under the shade of a large
tree, eating the fruit of the Mangaba which grew abun-
dantly around them ; he kindly invited me to remain and
partake of his breakfast, for which he was awaiting the
arrival of his troop, but I declined his kind offer as I was
anxious to cross the Serra without halting. It occupied
a ride of nearly six hours to traverse this table land,
which is perfectly level all the way ; it is thinly studded
with small trees, which give it very much the appearance
of an English Orchard ; the soil was thickly covered with
long grass, which was now dried up like hay ; in many
-places it had been set fire to, and large tracts burned,
which I afterwards found to be a very common practice in
the open campos of Brazil towards the end of the dry
season, in order that after the first rains, a good crop of
new grass may thus be obtained ; it is, indeed, astonish-
ing to witness the rapidity with which it then springs up.
The vegetation on this Taboleira I found to be so very
similiar to that on the top of the Serra at Crato, that with
the exception of a single specimen of a shrubby species
of Camay I did not meet with anjrthing I had not before
collected ; on the ascent of the Serra, however, I found a
new species of Eollinia in flower. It was not till we had
reached nearly the extremity of the Taboleira, that I came
in sight of the valley in which the Villa da Barra do Jar-
dim is situated, from the rich and verdant appearance of
which it takes the name of Jardim, or Garden. The
Serra being lower on the south than on the north side,
the descent is much easier, and the road is also better.
On reaching the Villa, which is nearly a league from
202 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the foot of the Serra, I found that we had passed the
house of Captain Antonio da Cruz, so that we were obliged
to turn back half a league, and I felt annoyed for not
haying sooner made enquiries, as our horses were greatly
fatigued after so long a journey, performed during the
whole time under a burning sun. On arriving at the
house, which £3 attached to his Engenho, I met with a
kind reception from the Certain, as well as from his son,
and the lady of the latter, who was the daughter of my
Crato friend Captain Gonsalvez, with both of whom I
had been previously acquainted during their visit to the
latter place. My horses w«*e immediately sent to pas-
ture, and dinner prepared, for which I felt an excellent
appetite after this long day's ride. Aware of my intended
visit, they had kindly prepared an uninhabited house in
the town for my reception, to which they would not allow
me to go till the following morning after breakfast.
The Villa da Barra do Jardim lies south from Crato,
bearing a little to the eastward, the valley in which it is
situated being about a league in length, and in its widest
part about half a league broad ; the town is small, in the
form of a large square, three sides of which only are com-
pleted, and nearly in the centre of this square stands its
only church, also in an unfinished state. At the time of
my visit the surrounding country was very much burned
up, particularly towards the south, but on the north side
of the town, towards the bottom of the Serra, there were
many small plantations of cane, watered by small streams
which take their rise in the Serra ; without these the val-
ley would then have been quite at variance with its name.
Here, as around Crato, cane is the principal article culti-
C£ARA. 203
vated, bat in the ndghbourhooditf the Villa tb^re are two
or three very small pkntatioBS <^ oofiee, for which the
place seemB well adapted, judging from their vigourous
appearance, and the large crops they w^re said to yield ;
the quantity raised in this neighbourhood is not, however,
sufficient for its own consuzoption, what DK)re is required,
and, indeed, the whole that is consumed in other parts
of the provmce, being imported from Bio de Janeiro.
Upon asking several of the {H-o{»ietors of cane plantations
why they did not plant coffee in pre£»*ence, seeing the
much greater profit it would bring them, they all replied
that, being accustomed to the making of Kapadura, they
did not like to risk it for a system of cultivation with
which they were imperfectly acquainted ; but the princi-
pal cause, in my own opinion, is their lazy and indolent
habits, and the great horror they entertain of any thing
like innovation on the customs of their forefathers ; were
the coimtry in the possession of an industrious people,
this would, no doubt, become one of the richest districts
in the north of Brazil.
Two days after my arrival, I paid a visit to Capt. An-
tonio da Cruz, where I learned that on a rising ground
between his house and the Serra, there were often found
rounded limestones, which when split, exhibited the
remains of fishes ; two of his sons accompanied me to
the spot, where I made a collection of several species
more or less perfect. The place where these were foimd
was on the slope of a low hill about a mile from the
Serra ; the stone in which they occur, being an impure
dark-coloured limestone ; I found them of all sizes, but
none larger than I could lift, all were more or less
204 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
rounded, having evidently undergone attrition. The place
vs^hich they occupy is not above a hundred yards square,
and in this extent scarcely toy other kind of stone is
found, but beyond it, the ground is covered in a similar
manner, with rounded blocks of sandstone of the same
nature as that which forms the mass of the Serra. Si-
milar deposits exist along the base of the range, but aU
in isolated patches, as in the present instance. I have
purposely deferred till now making any remarks on the
geology of the district around Crato, but I must premise
that the substance of what is here stated, is taken from
a paper read by me before the Glasgow Philosophical So-
ciety, in April 1843, and which has since appeared in
the Proceedings of that Society.
Nothing like chalk with its accompanying flints has
yet been found on the continent of North America, but
in New Jersey, Dr. Morton has described a deposit which
he considers to be equivalent to the lower, or green
sand beds of that formation, and to which he has given
the name of ' The ferruginous sand formation of the United
States." The fossil remains which it contains, proves
the correctness of his opinion. As regards the South
American continent, it is asserted by Humboldt, that it
neither contains oolite nor chalk, from the fact that no
traveller who has hitherto written on the geology of that
immense continent, has ever met with either, it was
therefore a source of no Uttle satisfaction to me to find
that I had been the first to discover, in the new world,
the entire series of rocks which constitute the chalk
formation, specimens of all of which I did not fail to
collect.
CEARA. 205
The Serra de Araripe, or that which runs between
Crato and Barra do Jardim, is only an eastern branch of
an elevated table land which stretches continuously from
the sea-coast, southward, and forms a natural boundary
between the two great provinces of Ceara and Piauhy.
It is generally elevated from 500 to 1,000 feet above the
level of the country to the east of it, but not so much
above that to the west ; to this range, the name of Serra
Vermelha is given by the Portuguese, and Ibiapaba, by
the Indians. Between the 10th and 11th degrees of
latitude, it takes a westerly direction, and in about 47^
of longitude, takes a northerly sweep, finally terminating
at the mouth of the River Amazon, under the equator,
the country which it surrounds forming a valley of great
extent, including the entire provinces of Piauhy and
Maranham. This elevated range varies much in breadth,
as many branches run off from it, both to the east
and to the west ; the top is nearly perfectly level, forming
as before mentioned, what the Brazilians call, Taboleiras.
The great mass of the Serra consists of a very soft, whitish,
yellowish, or reddish-coloured sandstone, which in many
places must be more than six hundred feet thick ; and
in this rock exist the nodules which contain the fossil
fishes. The circumstance that first led me to suspect
this rock belonged to the chalk formation, was, an im-
mense accumulation of flints and septaria, similar to
those of the chalk of England, which I found on the ac-
clivity of the range, during a journey made along its base,
to the north of Crato. I now began to inquire if anything
like chalk was found in the neighbourhood, when I learned
there were several pits in the Serra, whence the inhabi-
206 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tants obtained it for the purpose of white-washing their
houses ; these pits I afterwards found to be situated in a
deep layer of red-coloured diluvial clay, which lies imme-
diately over the sandstone of the Serra. In a ravine near
Crato, I endeavoured to ascertain the formation on which
the sandstone rested, when I found it to consist of several
layers of more or less compact limestones and marls, with a
bed of lignite about two feet thick ; upon what these rested
I could not at that time ascertain, but sometime afterwards
when I crossed to the west side of the range, I found
these limestones existing upon a deposit of very dark-red
coarse-grained sandstone, abounding in smaU nodules of
iron-stone. Thus we find, that the structure of the rocks
in this locality, is very similar to that of the chalk forma-
tion in England ; there is
1st. A ferruginous sandstone deposit, equivalent to
the lower green sand or Shanklin sand.
2nd. A deposit of marls, soft and compact limestones,
and lignite, equivalent to the EngUsh gault.
3rd. A very thick deposit of fine-grained, soft, vari-
ously coloured sandstone, containing IchthyoUtes, equi-
valent to the upper green sand of England.
4th. The white chalk itself, and flints occurring in pits
partially covered by red diluvial clay.
Flints are very common along the foot of the Serra,
to the N.W, of Crato, but none were found in any of the
chalk-pits that I examined ; I learned, however, that at
a considerable distance to the north of Crato, at a portion
of this mountain range, called the Serra de Botarite, both
chalk and flints are far more abundant than they are near
the former place, where they seem to have been almost
CEARA. 207
entirely washed away, previous to the deposition of the
red clay in which it is now found.
Since the time when these rocks were first deposited
at the bottom of the sea, to the present period, both they
and the surrounding country must have undergone various
changes with respect to elevation ; but before making
any observations on this subject, I will point out the
various places where I have met with traces of the chalk
formation, besides that just described. In 1838, during
my voyage up the Rio de San Francisco, which empties
itself into the Atlantic between the 10th and 11th
degrees of south latitude, I obtained specimens of the
rock on which the Villa do Penedo is built, and on com-
parison, these proved to be identical with those from the
upper sandstone of Grata In 1839, 1 found the ferru-
ginous sandstone of Crato extending westward thence
about 500 miles, and in the year 1841, I observed at
Maranham, in 2° of south latitude, and 44° of west lon-
gitude, a formation very similar to that at Crato. The
whole island on which the city of Maranham is built,
consists of a very dark-red ferruginous sandstone ; on
the main land to the westward, the same rock was ob-
served rising a httle above the sea level, but immediately
upon it, there exists a deposit, in some places more than
50 feet thick, of a yellowish and greenish coloured sand-
stone, very soft, and of a marly nature.
From these data, then, I think there can be little
doubt, that the whole of that immense shoulder which
forms the more easterly point of the American Continent,
has at one time been a great depository for the chalk for-
mation. The only other rocks that I observed in places
208 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
denuded of the deposits belonging to the chalk, are, Ist,
gneiss and mica-slate, the layers of which crop out in
nearly a vertical direction, as was frequently observed on
my journey from the coast, and during my voyage up the
Rio de San Francisco ; and, 2nd, beds of grey coloured
clay-slate, which I passed over about 18 leagues below
Crato. The whitish coarse-grained sandstone that I met
with immediately afterwards, is probably equivalent to
the ferruginous sandstone, found on the west side of the
range ; from this it would appear, that between the cre-
taceous series, and the primary stratified rocks, there are
no traces either of the carboniferous or the oohte forma-
tions, nor in any part of Brazil, through which I afterwards
travelled, did I meet with any signs of them.*
We have already seen, that the country from the coast
to Crato, is for the most part level, large portions being
covered with coarse white sand, or gravel of various sizes,
which give it the appearance of the dried up bed of an
immense river ; much of this gravel consists of flints, and
intermingled with them are numerous boulders of various
sizes, more or less rounded, consisting of granite, gneiss,
and quartz. Whenever these gravelly tracts cease to
* Dr. Parigot appears, however, to have found coal abundantly in
the Island of Santa Catherina, in the South of Brazil. He was em-
ployed by the Government while I was there, to explore that country
for coal, and in a pamphlet which he published, in 1841, entitled ** Me-
moria sobre as Minas de Carvao de Pedra do Brazil," he mentions a
bed about three feet thick, of considerable extent ; but as nothing has
since transpired on the subject, it may be doubted whether this coal is
of any useful quality.
The coal which Spix and Martins inform us exists near Bahia, Dr.
Parigot found to consist of beds of lignite ; and the probability is that
they are equivalent to that which I foimd at Crato.
CEARA. 209
appear, the surface of the country is covered with a deposit
of the same kind of red clay which lies over the upper
sandstone of the table-land. To the westward of this
table-land, considerable portions are covered with the
variously shaped ironstone nodule^, found in the ferrugi-
nous sandstone, and which have accumulated &om the
decay of that rock.
I have now to ofifer a few remarks on the changes of
elevation which this part of the continent has undergone
since the chalk rocks were first deposited ; it is manifest,
that deposition took place at the bottom of a shallow
ocean, and it admits of no doubt, that at some subse*
quent period, it has been gradually elevated above the
level of the sea ; it is evident that this elevation has been
gradual, from the horizontal position of the strata of which
the deposit is formed ; for had the elevating cause been
sudden and violent, their original position would not have
been so perfectly maintaiaed. The first portion that
emerged from the sea was probably the long elevated
table-land, which for a period must have formed a neck
of land separating the Atlantic Ocean on the east, from
the great bay, which the immense valley to the west-
ward must then have formed.
From some of the foregoing observations it is obvious
that the chalk formation, at one time, must have covered
a very great tract of the surrounding country, and we
may very reasonably conclude that it was during the
gradual elevation of the land, that the action of the waves
of the ocean as gradually destroyed the soft material of
which it had been fabricated. But long after this had been
accomplished, and at a comparatively recent geological
210 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
period, the whole country seems again to have been covered
with water, — ^not only the nearly level country between
the shores of the present sea, and the elevated table-land^
but even the highest parts of the table-land itself. This
is proved by the thick stratum which ejdsts on both, of a
deep red-coloured diluvial clay, similar to that which
I have observed to cover nearly the whole surface of Brazil,
from the sea-shore to the summits nearly of the highest
mountains, and which is often more than forty feet in
thickness. When tins is cut through, it is found to con-
sist of various layers of clay and sandy gravel, in which
are imbedded rounded stones of different sizes. These
have evidently been deposited from water ; and in that
part of the country of which we are now speaking, this
deposition of clay must have taken place at a period sub*
sequent to the inundation of the country to the east and
west of the table-land. This could only have been accom*
pUshed by the sinking of the land again beneath the level
of the sea, which will account for the nearly total des-
truction of the white chalk, as well as for those smaU
cones of it which remain imbedded in the red clay, — ^that
deposit having been laid down before the whole of the
chalk could be washed away ; since then this part of the
continent must have gradually emerged a second time
from the bosom of the ocean.
Fart of my collection of fossil fishes were sent to the
care of my much lamented friend, the late J. E. Bowman,
Esq., of Manchester, shortly after I found them ; these
were exhibited by him at the Meeting of the British
Association at Glasgow, where they were seen by M.
Agassiz, and although no specimens of the rocks ac*
CEARA. 211
oompanied them, he immediately, from their zoologicid
characters alone, pronounced them to belong to the chalk
series. It is well known that this learned naturalist
divides all fishes into four great classes, from the nature
of their scales ; two of these, the Ctenoid and Cycloid,
never make their appearance in any of the rocks beneath
the chalk, and it was from his knowledge of this fact that
he decided my specimens to be from that formation, as
they consisted chiefly of individuals of the Ctenoid and
Cycioid groups. The fishes are in a most perfect state
of preservation, and, as I have abeady stated, are in-
cluded in an impure fawn-coloured limestone ; the blocks,
however, id which they are preserved, are only nodules
contained ia the yellowish coloured sandstone. They
have in general somewhat the form of the imbedded fish,
and the carbonaceous matter was apparently aggregated
round them by chemical attraction from the sandstone,
while in a soft state ; these nodules beiag harder than
the sandstone, have, by its gradual decay, accumulated
at various places along the acclivity of the range,and I
possess specimens both from the east and west side of it.*
On the evening of the 23rd. of December I had an in-
vitation from Lieut. Col. Joao Jose de Gouvea, a gentle-
man to whom I brought letters, to accompany him and the
Yisitador to a place called Mayape five leagues to the east
of the Villa da Barra do Jardim, whither they were going
to pass Christmas Day. This I gladly accepted, having
* The fishes were found by M. Agassiz to be all new species, and
he has described them in the * Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal '
for January, 1841. I also possess, from the same rocks, specimens of
two species of very minute bivalve shells, a single valve of a Venus
and casts of a univalve shell, all apparently new.
p 2
212 TRAVELS Il5f BRAZIL.
been already informed that a large deposit of fossil fishes
existed there. We started at eight o'clock on the morn-
ing of the 24th, and as the Visitador was not to retmn, he
was accompanied for nearly a league from the Villa, by
about half a dozen of the most respectable persons in the
neighbourhood, Senhor Gouvea, his lady, and Senhor
Machado, and I went on to Ma9ape. At about half a
league from the Villa we entered a narrow ravine, wooded
on each side with large trees, the branches of which were
bearded with the long Tillandaia tisneoidesy and another
large species of the same genus, but I did not observe a
single Orchideous plant. This ravine is nearly half a
league in length, and about the middle of it arises a
spring yielding an abundant supply of cool and limpid
water, which lower down is apphed for the purpose of
irrigation. As the ravine rises gradually, the ascent of the
Serra here is less steep, than by the one we passed on the
road from Crato. Immediately on entering the Taboleira
the vegetation changes, none of the trees seen there being
found below, but I did not perceive any difierence from
those already observed on other parts of it. After a very
pleasant ride of four hours, we reached the opposite side
of the Serra, where a vast difference appeared in the vege-
tation, compared with that of the vicinity of Jardim ; here
all was green and verdant, owing to several heavy showers
that had fallen a few weeks before ; the trees on the
Taboleira are also larger than those nearer to Jardim, and
everything denotes it to be a more fertile country. ' From
the top of the descent we obtained a fine view of the
undulating, but uninhabited country to the east and south.
The Serra here is much higher than on the western side.
CEARA. 21S
and the descent is far from being an easy one ; at less than
a quarter of a league &om it, stands the Eazenda of Ma^ape,
which is the principal house in that place. On our
arrival we found two large flags waving in the court
before the house, and the Visitador was welcomed by the
discharge of about a dozen guns ; shortly after our arrival,
numbers of people, with children of all ages, began to
assemble, and immediately after dinner the Visitador com-
menced his duties of baptism &c. Having made enquiries
for the place where the fossil fishes were to be found, I
went there, accompanied by Senhor Machado; after
walking about half a league, we reached the spot which
much resembled that near Jardim, the stones occupying
a limited space on the slope of the rising ground that
runs along the foot of the Serra ; this site having lately
been deared and planted with cane, we had little diffi-
culty in procuring abundance of stones, though few good
ones, for after nearly two hours work, I could obtain no
more than three or four tolerable specimens, most of the
remains being very much broken. On our return we
found an immense crowd of people assembled, while more
were arriving, chiefly for the purpose of hearing the three
masses that are always performed immediately on the
entrance of Christmas Day. At nine o'clock in the evening
mass was said under the veranda, at one end of which a
small altar was erected, brilliantly illuminated with wax
candles, and surmounted by a figure of the Virgin, about
a foot and a half high, elegantly dressed, with a gold
chain round her neck, to which was attached a small toy
watch; the more respectable portion of the audience
seated themselves on the ground within the veranda, while
214 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the remaining men, women> and children were squatted
in a similar manner on the area of the court in fix)nt of
the house ; altogether not less than a thousand persons
were here assembled. After the conclusion of the cere-
mony we partook of a supper of fresh fish, and at ten o'clock
the Visitador retired to his hammock to enjoy a little
sleep, prior to the commencement of his midnight labours;
I followed his example, but slept so soundly that I did
not awake till after the conclusion of the mass^ notwith-
standing that my hammock was slung in the same con-
fined room as that of the prelate, and the upper half of
the door, which opened into the veranda, was open. No
observations were made upon my apparent neglect, but
I have no doubt that I was set down as a perfect heathen.
In the morning mass was again celebrated, and when
breakfast was over, the Visitador resumed his labours^
During the day the place had all the appearance of a Mr,
European goods, jewellery, provisions, rum, &c., were on
all sides exposed for sale, and in the evening, dancing was
carried on in the open air until a very late hour.
The following day I returned with my friends to Jar-
dim, the Visitador goiag in another direction about two
leagues distant. When about half way across the Serra,
we alighted at a spot where Mangaba trees abound, in
order to collect some of the fruit, which is not considered
good to eat until after it has fallen to the ground ; on
this occasion, Senhor Gouvea let go his horse's bridle,
when the animal, finding itself at liberty, set off at a
round pace on the road toward Jardim ; I therefore in-
stantly mounted with the intention of intercepting it, and
in the act of turning round, struck my head with consi-
CEARA. 215
deiaUe violence against the branch of a large tree> which
in an instant felled me to the ground. I could remem-
ber nothing that subsequently occurred till we were
wiHiin half a league of Jardim, when I awoke as from a
sound sleep^ and found myself on horseback proceeding
along at a pretty quick rate behind my companions ; I
felt much sickness and a considerable pain in the lower
part of my forehead, but worse than all, I found my
memory almost gone, for after many attempts I could noi
recollect in the smallest degree where I had been, or where
I was going ; I recognized my companions perfectly, but
could not remember their names, and though often
spoken to, felt no inclination to answer ; in this state of
darkness and confusion I rode on in silence, unconscious
of where I was going, and under the impression that I
was just roused from a long sleep. It was dusk when
we reached the town, and though aware of having been
there before, I could not remember its name, nor did it
occur to me, that it was then my place of residence. On
parting with my firiends I should not have known where
to go, had not Pedro been waiting for me at the end of
the street, for all my recollection of places was completely
obKterated. Immediately on reaching home, feeling
myself very unwell, I laid down and soon fell fast asleep,
and on awaking late on the following morning, found my-
self still labouring under a severe head-ache; a confused
recollection of where I had been now came over me, but I
could not yet remember the name of the place, and had
only a faint reminiscence of having fallen from my horse.
I learned, however, from Senhor Machado, who called to
enquire after me, that upon falling to the ground I re-
216 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
mained there some time in a state of insensibility, but that
after a while I arose, and, without speaking to any one,
mounted my horse, riding behind my companions all the
way to the town, and answering nobody when spoken to ;
many days elapsed before I felt myself perfectly recovered
from this accident.
Understanding that a very large deposit of fossil fishes
existed at a place called Mundo Novo, about three leagues
to the west of Barra do Jardim, I determined on making
an excursion there prior to my departure. To effect this
object it was necessary to cross a branch of the Serra de
Araripe, at a point where as on the road to Macape, the
ridge tends north and south ; it is here, however, only
about two and a half leagues broad. On my way T found
two or three trees quite new to me, one being of large
size, the Copaifera nitida. Mart., then covered with a
profusion of small white flowers ; its trunk yields an
abundance of oil, which is employed in the cure of
ulcers, and for frictions in cases of rheumatism. After
crossing the Serra, I found the country still more dried
up than at Jardim, the sides of the mountain exhibiting
only a few green trees ; along the foot of the Serra some
fine large trees were seen, but as they were then desti-
tute of both leaves and flowers I could not ascertain to
what tribe they belonged ; they are called Brauna by the
natives, and afford an excellent timber, which is both
hard and durable, being employed in the construction of
sugar-mills, particularly for rollers. I also now saw for
the first time, the remarkable CAorisia ventricosa, Nees
et Mart., called Barriguda by the inhabitants, from the
shape of its stem, which swells in the middle to five times
CEAKA. 217
the diameter of its upper and lower portions. About
half a league to the N.W. from the foot of the Serra, we
reached the first habitation on the way> which belonged
to the person, to whom I was recommended ; he received
me very kindly, and invited me into the house, which
was Uttle better than a mere hut ; upon learning the
object of my visit, he kindly offered to accompany me
to the spot. After partaking of breakfast we started,
and in about half an hour reached the place ; as in all
the instances I had before met with, it occupied an iso-
lated spot of considerable extent on the gentle slope of a
low ridge, which runs along the base of the Serra : here
also, as in other places, almost every stone contains the
remains of a fish in a more or less perfect condition ;
most of the smaller ones, that were only four or five inches
long, were perfectly entire, but the larger ones, some of
which measured fully six feet*, were always in fragments.
After three hours labour, I collected many tolerably
perfect specimens, but no species different from those
already obtained in other places. On returning with my
companion to his house, an excellent dinner was prepared,
for which he refused any recompense ; the kindness I
received on this occasion was indeed greater than could
be expected from a person in his poor circumstances ; I
was glad, however, to have an opportunity of returning
his civilities in town on New Year's Day, and in pre-
senting him with several useful articles : assuredly I shall
* Some of the specimens I obtained at this place were of that spe*
cies which M. Agassiz has done me the honour to name, Cladocyclut
Gardneri, and are about a foot in depth ; one, which from its great
size, I was obliged to leave behind, was still deeper.
218 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
never forget the kindBess <^ Antonio Martins of Mnndo
Novo;
There are two small tribes of uncivilized Indians living
mthin the district of Barra do Jardim, but their numbers
are fast diminishing : the one consisting of eighly indi-
viduals called Huamaes, generally reside seven leagues to
the south west of that town : the other, called Xocos,
amounting to about seventy persons, have their usual
place of abode thirteen leagues to the southward. Though
generally inoffensive iq their disposition, they had a short
time previous to my visit, been detected in robbing
cattle from the neighbouring farms ; they have occasion-
ally made their appearance in the Villa, and are said to
be dirty in their habits, and that when in want of better
food, they will devour the rattle-snake, and other serpents.
In various parts of Brazil, I met with many individuals
belonging to that remarkable sect called Sebastianistas ;
they take this appellation from their beUef in the return
to earth of King Don Sebastian, who fell in the celebrated
battle of Alcazarquebir, while leading on his army against
the Moors. Those who profess tins beUef, are said to be
more numerous in Brazil than in Portugal : on his
return, they say, that Brazil will enjoy the most perfect
state of happiness, and all that our own millenarians
anticipate, will be fully realized.
During my stay in Pemambuco, there occurred in con-
nexion with this beUef, one of the most extraordinary
scenes of fanaticism which'modem times have given birth
to, and were it not well authenticated, would be almost
incredible. Although much the subject of conversation
in Brazil at that time, I am not aware that any pubUc
CEARA. 219
BOGoimt of it lias reached Europe. The following letter
which is translated from the " Diario de Pemambuco" of
Monday the 16th of June, 1838, was officially addressed
to Senhor Francisco Rego Barros, then President of the
Province: —
*' Comarco de Flores, 26th May, 1838.
Most HloBtriouB and most Excellent Sir,
In tliifl first letter that I
have the honour to address to yonr Excellency on the state of this
Comaroo, which is at present tranquil, I have to lay before your Excel-
lency the most extraordinary, terrible, and cruel circumstance ever
heard of, and one which is almost past belief. It is now more than
two years since a man, called Joao Antonio, an inhabitant of Sitio de
Pedra Bonita,'a place about twenty leagues from this town, surrounded
by woods, and near which are two large rocks, called together the people,
and told them, that within those rocks there was an enchanted kingdom .
which he was about to disenchant, and that immediately afterwards
King Don Sebastian would make his appearance at the head of a great
army, richly adorned, and that all who followed him would be happy.
He went on beautifying this place till the month of November of last
year, when at the reconunendation of the Missionary Frandsoo Jos^
Oorrea de Albuquerque, he made a journey to the desert (Sertao) of
Inhamon, whence he sent back one Joao Pereura, a man of the worst
passions, who on his arrival, at Pedra Bonita, proclaimed himself King,
and began to instil superstitious notions into the minds of the people,
telling them that for the restoration of the enchanted kingdom it
would be requisite to immolate a number of men, women and children ;
that in a few days they would all rise again, and remain immortal;
that riches would abound among all classes, and that all those who
were either black or of a dark colour, would become as white as the
moon herself. In tl^is manner he brought over many of the ignorant
people to believe in his false assertions and evil doctrine, so much so,
that some fathers delivered over their children to the knife of the san-
guinary tiger.
'* On the fourth of the present month, he began his sacrifices, and,
in the course of two or three days, not less than forty-two human beings
gave up their lives under his hands, twenty-one being adults, and
220 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
twenty-one children ; he also married every man to iwo or three wo-
men, with superstitious rites in accordance with his otherwise immoral
conduct-, this also being part of his idolatry ; the result, however, was
to him melancholy, for Pedro Antonio, brother to Joao Antonio, the
promulgator of these ideas, becoming impatient of this madness, or
perhaps ambitious of becoming King himself, determined on assassina-
ting him, which he carried into effect on Friday the seventeenth. It
was on this day that the inhabitants, flying from place to place, gave
notice of the proceedings to the Commandant Manoel Pereira da Silva,
who immediately collected a small force of twenty-six national guards
and countrymen, and setting out the following day, they met near the
place, Pedro Antonio crowned with a wreath of flowering creepers^
taken from his predecessor, and accompanied by a group of men and
women, who cried aloud — ' come on, we do not fear you, we shall be
assisted by the troops of our kingdom.'
" They then advanced upon them with the bludgeons and swords
they carried, killed five soldiers, and wounded five more ; but being
briskly attacked, twenty-six men, and three women, were instantly
killed ; and three men, nine women, and twelve children were made
prisoners. The remainder, many of whom were wounded, fled to the
woods. It was only on the evening of the eighteenth, that I just had
notice of these disturbances, when I immediately got together forty
men, and marched off at the head of them, but on my arrival, I found
every thing had been quelled in the manner above related. The pri-
soners were conducted by my troops to this town, and the twelve
children will be taken care of till the orders of your Excellency arrive
respecting them.
God protect your Excellency.
Francisco Barbosa Nogueira Paz."
The district of Flores lies considerably to the south of
the Villa do Crato, near the Rio de San Francisco, and
in the province of Pemambuco. The occurrence was
much spoken of during my stay in the neighbourhood of
Crato, and I have conversed with the relatives of some of
those who fell victims.
On the Slst of Dec., a very heavy thunder-storm oc-
CEARA. 221
corred at Barra do Jardim, followed by about two hour's
rain, the first that had fallen that season, and the same
again happened on the 2nd of January, indicating that
the period of the rains was on the point of setting in ; I
observed, that in the confidence of this, the inhabitants
had commenced their plantations of rice, and therefore lost
no time in making my arrangements for returning to
Crato in order to prepare for my journey into Piauhy.
My departure from Jardim was fixed for the 3rd, for
which purpose my horses were brought the night before
from the pasturage and tied securely to some orange trees,
with abundance of fresh grass, on which they could feed
till morning, but at day-break two of the animals had
disappeared ; at first, I was apprehensive they had been
stolen, but I despatched Pedro in search of them, and was
glad to see him return, bringing the missing horses
which had escaped to their old pasturage. Without any
further delay I therefore started about noon, after taking
leave of my friends, and reached Crato the following day«
CHAPTER VII.
CBATO TO PIAUHY.
PreparationB for the joum^ — ^Leaves Crato^-Passes Guaribaa —
Beaches Brejo grande— Disooyers more fossil fishes — ^Passes Olho
d'Agoa do Inferno — ^Arrives at P090 de Cavallo— Crauata — Cacho-
eira — ^Marmeleira — ^Bosario— Os defimtos — ^Lagoa — ^Varzea daVaca
— ^Angicas — Crosses the boundary line of the province of Piauhy —
Arriyes at San Gronsalyo— Campos — Lagoa oomprida — ^Difficulties
of the road — ^Beaches Corumata — Canabraya — ^Arriyes at Boa Es-
peran^a, a large estate owned by an excellent clergyman — Is now in
the midst of the great Cattle Districts — Nature of the Country des-
cribed— ^Marked into two Kinds, Mimoso and Agreste — Passes Santa
Anna das Mercys — San Antonio— Cachimbinho— Vegetation of the
surrounding Country — ^Beaches Betiro — ^Buquerao — Canayieira —
Crosses the Biyer Canind^ and arrives at Oeiras, the Capital of the
Province of Piauhy.
After my return to Crato, all my collections were
despatched for the coast by the 10th of January in order
to be shipped for England, and I prepared everything in
readiness for our journey, which I was assured might
now, be undertaken with safety, as it had rained heavily
nearly every day since the beginning of the month. I
was, however, prevented from leaving so soon as I had
anticipated, owing to the necessity of dismissing my ser-
CRATO TO. PIAUHY. 22S
vant Pedro. He had now been about a year in my
service, and as he was intelligent and useful, and we had
travelled together more like companions than master
and man, and as he had moreover, acted with great
kindness and attention to me during several slight ill-
nesses, I always treated him with much indulgence, and
certainly would not have parted with him, had he not
returned that indulgence with ingratitude. For some
time before this, he had conducted himself as if he ima^
gined I could not do without him. It was on a Saturday
that I intended to have left Crato, and on the morning
of that day, I sent him to purchase several articles for
our journey, but he did not return till two o'clock in the
afternoon. Being still desirous of starting, I told him to
fetch the other men who were to accompany us, and to
bring the horses from the pasture ; in reply, he said that
he would go for them, but that I might start vsdth them
myself, as he did not intend to leave Crato till Monday ;
this being more than I could reasonably bear, I instantly
discharged him. Fortunately at this very moment, I had
a visit from a young Enghshman, Mr. Edward Walker,
who had come up to Crato while I was at Barra do Jardim,
to take charge of a Rapadura Engenho in the absence of
the ovmer, who, although a man upwards of forty years
of age, was about to proceed to the College at Olinda, in
order to study for the church. During two years before
this, Mr. Walker had been travelling over the interior of
the province of Ceara, and in the north of Piauhy, selling
European goods, but about two months before he came
to Crato, he had been robbed of all he possessed, and
^24 TRAVELS IN BKAZIL.
had no other resource left, than to accept of the situation
he then held, so that he might earn the means of enabUng
him to reach the coast. That occupation not being to
his taste, he at once oflfered to accompany me as my as-
sistant ; I had therefore to purchase two additional horses
for him and his trunks, and as there was some difficulty
in procuring such as would answer our purpose, it was
not until the fifteenth of the month that we could leave
Crato. The day previous to my departure, was occupied
in taking leave of my good firiend Capt. Joao Gonsalvez,
his wife, and daughter, and of my other Mends.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon before we could
start, and we passed the night at an Engenho, called
Guanbas, at the foot of the Serra de Araripe, its distance
being about a league and a half westward of Crato. On the
following morning we resumed our journey soon after
day-break, and shortly afterwards ascended the Serra
during a heavy shower of rain, over a part considerably
lower than that a few leagues to the eastward. The breadth
of the Serra here is about thirty miles, the first half was
very similar to other parts of it which I had previously
visited, being quite level and open, the vegetation consis-
ting of rather large and thinly scattered trees, and in many
parts covered with an abundance of low shrubs. The most
common tree here was a fine species of Fockysia, which
I had only met with sparingly before, and which has a
fine appearance, from its dark green, shining leaves, and
the spikes of bright yellow flowers, which terminate the
branchlets. The more westerly portion is very thickly
wooded with small trees, large tracts of which are burned
CRATO TO PIAUHT. 225
down every year, to allow of a more abimdant supply of
herbage for the cattle and horses which are sent here to
pasture, during the dry season. When about half way
across, we halted under a tree to breakfast, having
brought a large calabash full of water for the purpose of
making tea, but we might have saved this trouble as we
found an abundant supply in the hollowed stump of a
tree ; it was found to be of good quality notwithstanding
that one or two frogs were swimming about in it. The
western descent is very gradual, and ends in a long
narrow ravine, which leads into Brejo Grande, a large
valley surrounded on all sides, except to the westward,
by branches of the Serra. Towards the western extre-
mity of this valley, we arrived at the house of Col. Man-
oel do Barros de Cavalcante ; I had been requested by
his son who lives in Crato, to visit him, as he had been
very ill for several days. He is the chief person in this
district, which is not very thickly populated, where he
officiates as justice of the peace (Juiz de Paz) ; on visiting
him I soon found that he suffered from a severe attack
of acute rheumatism, for which I bled him freely, and
administered the usual remedies. In a marshy place
near the head of the valley of Brejo Grande, we passed a
large group of a beautiful palm, which I had met with
in only a few instances below Crato, but which I after-
wards saw in the greatest abundance in the swamps of
Rauhy and Goyaz ; it is called Buriti by the inhabitants,
and is the Maurifia vinifera of Martins. This palm is
not only the most beautifal, but one of the loftiest in the
country; the leaves are fan-shaped, and form a large
Q
226 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
round ball at the top of the stem, after the maimer of
the Camahuba. It produces a great number of nuts
about the size of a small egg, covered with rhomboidal
scales arranged in a spiral manner; between these scales
and the albuminous substance of the nut, there exists an
oily pulp of a reddish colour, which the inhabitants of
Crato boil with sugar and make into a sweet-meat ; in
Piauhy they prepare from this pulp an emulsion, which,
when sweetened with sugar, forms a very palatable be-
verage, but if much used, it is said to tinge the sldn of a
yellowish colour. The juice of the stem also forms a
very agreeable drink, but to obtain it, the tree must be
cut down, when several holes about six inches square,
three deep, and about six feet apart, are cut in the trunk
with a small axe, which in a short time become filled with
a reddish coloured Uquid, having much the flavour of sweet
wine. During my travels in Piauhy, we used occasionally
to cut down these palms in order to obtain the juice.
During the night it rained very heavily, and in the
morning it was still so wet that we could not resume our
journey, indeed, Colonel Barros strongly recommended
us to delay our departure till the following day, as the
river to the west of his plantation would be much swollen
by the rains ; besides, the state of the road would not
allow us to reach the place where we proposed to remain
for the night. In the aft^noon I visited another deposit
of fossil fishes, about a mile distant firom the house, being
conducted by one of the colonel's sons, a very intelligent
youth, and found it to be exactly similar to the others
aheady described ; the few specimens here obtained did
CBATO TO PIAUHY. 227
not differ from those found on the eastern side. Dnring
this walk I met with a large species of Jatropha^ which is
frequent in the diy woods, and is known by the name of
Manaooba ; it forms a small tree from ten to twenty feet
in height, and the roots, which are far more woody than
those of the Mandiocca, are in times of scarcity converted
into farinha. The valley of Brejo Grande is chiefly
planted with sugar cane, rice, and mandiocca, but only a
very small part is yet under cultivation.
The weather having continued fine, I took my leave on
the foUowing morning of Colonel Barros, whom I found
considerably better. After expressing himself deeply
obliged to me for the relief I had given him, he wished to
make me some compensation, but as I would not accept
money, he insisted on my taking about half a bushel of
rice, and a number of Rapaduras, as an addition to our
stock of provisions. About a league from his house we
passed through a small hamlet (povoacao) called Santa
Anna, consisting of about half a dozen houses and a small
church. The road was very good aU the way, presenting,
for the most part, a natiu*al pavement in the shape of a
horizontal bed of limestone in thin layers. After travel-
ling about four leagues, we reached a place called Olho
d'Agoa do Inferno, situated on a slightly elevated part of
a narrow valley, and consisting of three or four houses.
At this place we halted to take breakfast under the shade
of a hugh Cassia tree, which was literally covered with
large panicles of golden blossoms. Like the first league
of this journey, the last was found to be very good, but
the intermediate distance passes through a flat country,
where, for nearly the whole way, the horses sank to their
q2
228 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
knees in water and mud. We crossed the river mentioned
by Colonel Barros several times^ and it was manifest by
marks left by the water on the banks, that it had been
greatly flooded the day before ; it was now not more than
two feet deep. The lower portion of the country through
which we passed is well wooded, the large trees consisting
chiefly of Mimo8(i8y and Erythrina covered with its nume-
rous brilliant scarlet flowers, and the thick-stemmed Bar-
riguda ; some of the latter are of great size, the singularly
swollen portion of their steins measuring about twenty-
four feet in circumference, while the upper and lower
parts were not more than eight. The additions made to
my herbarium this day, were numerous ; one of the most
beautiful being a shrubby species of AUamanda^ about six
feet high, bearing abundance of large violet-coloured
flowers, not unlike those of Glomnia speciosa, and which
I have called AUamanda violacea, from the colour of its
flowers, those of all other species being yellow; an infu-
sion of the root of this shrub is a powerful purgative, and
is chiefly used in malignant fevers. About Olho d'Agoa
do Inferno grows in great plenty a new species of Couta-
rea, which bears large white flowers, and called by the
inhabitants Quina Quina branca, from its bark having
been found to be an excellent remedy in cases of inter-
mittent fevers, which greatly prevail in the marshy plains
of the province of Piauhy. Almost every traveller who
goes into that province carries away a quantity of this
bark, and I remarked that nearly all the trees by the
road-side had large portions of their stems stripped in
consequence.
We left Olho d' Agoa in the afternoon, and shortly after-
CRATO TO PIAUHT. 229
wards entered a country very gimilar to that between Ico
and CratO) but as the rain had been falling for nearly a
month, everything wbs quite green. The rapidity with
which vegetation advances in these deserts, after the first
few showers, is quite astonishing ; the annual grasses
spring up through the white sand, the trees burst into
leaf and bloom, and the perennial herbaceous plants, which
during the drought were apparently destroyed, throw up
their flowering stems in an incredibly short period. In
crossing a small stream on this journey I observed the
rock, forming its bed, to consist of gneiss, cropping out
towards the west; beyond this place sandstone again
made its appearance, but scattered over it are an immense
number of large angular blocks of gneiss. After tra-
velling three leagues, we reached a place called F090 do
Cavallo, and put up for the night in an unfinished house,
which, though roofed over, was open at the sides.
Besides ourselves two other travelling parties had also
taken up their quarters here. In a marsh near us a
whole legion of j&x)gs were holding their nightly concert,
and so loud was their noise, that I found some difficulty
in going to sleep. Shortly before reaching this place, I
collected specimens of a fine large tree which I afterwards
found to be very common in the district; it belongs
to the natural order Meltacea, and is called by the
Brazilians Cedro, from the wood resembling both in
colour and smell that of the true Cedar ; the wood is very
much used for making doors, tables, and various articles
of furniture. The leaves and flow^s possessed so strongly
the odour of garhck, that the atmosphere was rendered
disagreeable to breathe. The pastures for our horses
2B0 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
were now excellent, the new grass being from four to six
inches high, and very abundant. To the botanist it was
quite delightful to travel through such a countiy, for
nearly at every footstep something new and beautiful was
added to my collections ; the only drawback was the diffi-
culty of preserving the specimens, owing to the great humi-
dity of the atmosphere, and the want of proper means of
drying the paper, as the sun now seldom shone out
brightly.
The foUowing morning set in with rain, but we resumed
our journey about seven o'clock, when it cleared up ; we
had not, however, gone far when the rain began again to
fall heavily, which, notwithstanding the protection from
my umbrella, soon drenched me to the skin ; we were
obliged to travel two leagues before reaching any house,
so thinly is this country inhabited. The place we arrived
at was called Crauata, consisting of only three very small
houses, and as the rain continued without intermission,
we determined to stay, if possible, in one of them during
the remainder of the day ; but we found only one room
could be spared, which was so very small, that it would
not contain more than my luggage, much less our party,
which now consisted of four persons ; our only remedy,
therefore, was to go on in the midst of the rain to a place
called Cachoeira, about a league distant. On our arrival
here we found it consisting of four houses, all, with the
exception of one where we obtained leave to put up, simi-
lar to those at Crauata. This belonged to a person who
had resided four or five years in Philadelphia, about
eighteen years previously, and who still spoke a little En-
glish ; on finding we were Englishmen, he gave us a hearty
CBATO TO PIAUHT. 281
welcome^ and all the accommodation his house afforded,
doing all in his power to render us as comfortable as
possible ; shortly after our arrival the rain fell in torrents,
so much so, that a small rivulet which we crossed imme-
diately before reaching the house, soon became impassable
for horses, and had we been detained one hour later, we
should have been obliged to remain on the opposite
side without shelter. The rain ceased at four o'clock
in the afternoon, but the very loud thunder which accom-
panied it continued nearly the whole day. The road from
Po(o do Cavallo to Cachoeira passed through an almost
level country ; many parts of which are well wooded with
large trees, the most common being a species of dssal'
pinia, some large Mimosas^ the Cedro, the Baniguda,
and another kind which is very common, though not
so large, called by the inhabitants Imbuzeiro ; it is the
Spondius MerosUy Amid., producing abundantly a fruit
about twice the size of a large gooseberry, of an oblong
shape, and of a yellowish colour when ripe ; beneath its
coriaceous skin there is a juicy pulp, of a pleasant sweetish
acid taste. like the Mangaba this fruit is only fit to eat
when it is so ripe as to fall to the ground, when a large
quantity may be eaten without inconvenience ; during our
journey to the Campo country of Piauhy, where it ceases to
grow, we were seldom without a daily supply of it ; a dish
much esteemed in the Sertao, called Imbuzada is pre-
pared with milk, curds, sugar, and the pulpy part of this
fruit ; the tree throws out long horizontal roots, which do
not penetrate very deeply into the earth, and upon these
are found, at short distances, round black-coloured tubers
about eight inches in diameter, consisting entirely of a
232 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
white cellular substance which is fiill of water ; these,
which are evidently intended by nature to supply the
vegetation of the tree during the dry season, are often
dug out by travellers for the sake of the water they con-
tain, each tuber yielding about a pint of excellent quality.
Another wild fruit common here, as it is also about
Crato and Pemambuco, is produced by a tree growing to
the height of from thirty to forty feet, called Pitombeira;
it is the Sapindus escuknius, St. Hil. ; the fruit is pro-
duced in large bunches, resembling in size the common
grape; the outer covering is hard, but the embryo, or
kernel, is covered with a thin transparent, sweetish, add
pulp, which alone is eaten ; the kernels are said to poison
turkeys if eaten by them.
Next day, the twentieth of January, we left Cachoeira,
early in the morning, and after travelling about five lea-
gues we arrived at a Fazenda called Marmeleira, where we
rested during the middle of the day. Shortly after leaving
Cachoeira we began to ascend a small Seira, by a very gra-
dual inclination, but owing to its rocky nature the road was
very bad in many places. This range consists of gneiss,
the stratification of which is nearly vertical ; large blocks
of the same kind of rock were very commonly seen along
the road, but on the ascent of a small hill I observed
many rounded blocks of a coarse whitish sandstone. On
the journey we crossed several rivers, which although
very small, or wholly dried up in the arid season, were
now so much swollen by the recent rains, that we could
with difficulty pass some of them. After crossing the
Serra we entered a fine valley about a league in length,
well wooded with -large trees, and having a small river
C&ATO TO PIAXTHT. 233
inmBing through the centre of it; the end to the westward
was pretty well deared of trees, and there is a little hamlet-
called Rosario, beyond which we had nearly half a league
to travel before reaching our resting-place. On this
journey were found several new species of the beautifdl
genus Angdoniay one of the most remarkable being a fine
climbing shrubby species {A. bracteata^ Benth.) ; on dry
rocky places I observed several kinds of CactnSy which axe
not so conmion on the western side as they are on the
east of the Serra de Ibiapaba. The genus Loasa, so very
conmion in Chili and Peru, has only few representatives
in Brazil ; one which, I have called Loasa rupestris, was
found here in rocky places by the side of a stream just
before we reached our resting-place ; like other species of
this genus, the whole plant stings very powerfully, and
hence, in common with other stinging plants, it is called
by the inhabitants Can9an9ao. As the sun shone out
brightly during our stay at Marmeleira, we were enabled
to dry all our clothes and other things that had been
soaked by the rains. Here I prescribed for the mistress
of the house, who was in a very delicate state of health ;
in return for this we were abundantly supplied with milk,
which, at this season is plentiful. In the afternoon we
travelled three leagues further, and towards dusk arrived
at a place consisting of a few small houses called Os De-
fimtos, near which is a marsh abounding with frogs ; the
loud and disagreeable sounds they produced could only be
compared to the half-howling, half-barking noise of a large
kennel of hungry dogs. On some trees near the marsh seve-
ral large owls were seen, attracted no doubt by the frogs,
which they are said to destroy in great numbers for food.
284 TKAVILS IN BRAZIL
On the following morning after travelling about five
leagues through a level and rather open country, we
arrived at a place called Y arzea da vaca ; when about a
league beyond Os Defiintos, we passed a Fazenda caUed
Lagoa, belonging to Senhor Jose Pereira de HoUanda,
the person, who without leave took the loan of my horse
during my stay in Grato. His place derives its name
from a lake in the vicinity of the house, which is much
frequented by wild duck and other water-fowl. Before
reachingVarzea da vaca, we passed several other Eazendas,
where large herds of cattle were seen grazing in the open
Campos. Varzea da vaca is a hamlet consisting of about
eight houses, but within the district that bears that name,
they reckon about sixty; the residents are almost all
cattle farmers, some of the poorer families only possessing
half a dozen head, while others own upwards of a hun-
dred ; they also have small plantations of Indian com,
rice, mandiocca, and french beans. The inhabitants of
the house in which I was to put up, appeared to be very
poor; the building was small and very ill-constructed,
having only a large opening in one side, that served for
entrance, without any door to keep out either wind or
rain ; it consisted of only two apartments, the inner one
being occupied by the family, the cAher by my party
and that of another traveller who also remained here for
the night, which proved to be stormy ; in order to shelter
ourselves from the wind which blew in at the door,
I was obliged to hang before it one of the large skins used
to cover the loads on the horses. In the afternoon I
shot several birds, and also met with some curious annual
plants which had sprung up in the sandy Campos.
CRATO TO PIAUHY. 285
Leaving Vaizea da vaca about seven o'clock on the
following morning, and travelling about two leagues, we
halted at a Eazenda called Angicas ; I intended to have
proceeded further without stopping, but as it was raining
very heavily I remained here till the afternoon, when the
weather having cleared up, we went on two leagues fur-
ther to San Gonsalvo, which we reached about simset.
The country betweeen Varzea da vaca and Angicas is flat
and sandy, being one of those tracts called Taboleiras ; in
some places it is covered with alow shrubby vegetation,
while in others are seen numerous large kinds of Cactus.
Among the many beautiful plants met with on this jour-
ney, was one particularly worthy of notice : it is a species
of Echites* growing abundantly on the open sandy places;
it is not more than six inches high, with subulate leaves
and pink-coloured blossoms not unlike those oiPhlow subu-
lata ; it is called by the inhabitants of the Sertao, Cauhy,
and the tuberous root, which is the size and colour of a
large black turnip-radish, is eaten by them when cooked,
and is said to be very palatable ; in the raw state it tastes
not unlike a turnip. This root is also a favourite food of
the Peccary {Bycotelea torquatuSy Cuv.), which is very
expert at digging them up with its snout, the sand being
in many places fall of the holes they had made for this
purpose. About half a league beyond Angicas, a small
lake is seen, which forms the boundary between the pro-
vinces of Ceara and Piauhy. There are two houses at
San Gonsalvo both belonging to cattle farmers, father and
son ; at the end of the last rains they possessed conjointly
* JSchUes tefMtfolia, Mikan. Dipladenia tenu\foUa, yar. pvherula,
Alph. D.C., Frodr. S. p. 483.
236 TEAVELS IN BRAZIL.
about three hundred head of cattle, but the severe drought
that occurred previous to the setting in of the present
rainy season, had left them only about forty, all the re-
mainder having perished from the want of water and
grass.
Next morning after travelling three leagues and a half
through a rather level, and tolerably well- wooded country,
we arrived towards mid-day at a place consisting of three
houses called Campos ; the tree most abundant on the
road was the Imbuzeira, the fruit of which, called Imbu,
was observed in such great plenty that the ground
beneath them was completely yellow ; we ate abundantly
of it, and found it very grateful. About a league from
Campos the country abounds with an arboreous species of
Jatropha, with small white flowers, and sinuate leaves
not unlike those of the holly, only larger ; the footstalks
of the leaves are furnished with a few long pointed
prickles, and without being aware of their nature, I laid
hold of a branch to collect a few specimens, but had no
sooner done so than my whole hand felt as if it had been
dipped into boiling oil, caused by the venom of the prickles
which in many places had punctured the skin, and it was
intolerably painful for several hours ; on my next attempt
I was more cautious, and succeeded in obtaining a few
specimens. This plant is called by the inhabitants Favella,
and in the dry season they scrape down the bark and
wood, which they put into the pools where the large pi-
geons and other birds resort ; after having drank of this
poisoned water they either die or become very much
stupified, and in this state are taken and eaten by the
people. On this journey we saw a great many Maccaws
C&ATO TO PIAUHT, 287
{Ararai), butthqr would not allow me to come within
shot of them.
In the afternoon we made another journey of about a
league and a half, through a flat sandy country, which
yielded me several novelties, and remained for the night
at a lai^ cattle Fazenda, called Lagoa Comprida. This
house was one of the largest we had seen since leaving
Brejo Grande; it is situated on the margin of a lake
about four hundred yards long, from which it takes its
name; no rivulet empties itself into the lake, which
becomes filled during the rainy season, and if the rains
have been heavy, it does not dry up before the next wet
season. By the proprietor I was informed, that on the
previous year very little rain fell, and that in consequence
of this, and of the very great drought afterwards, the
lake dried up before the setting in of the present rains,
the result of which was, the death of nearly all the cattle
belonging to the Fazenda. The people were still in an
almost starving state, and although both at Campos and
here I endeavoured to purchase some provisions for our
own use, nothing was to be had, neither fowls, sheep,
goats, pigs, nor beef; money I found to be of no use. Our
next stage was one of three leagues, and brought us to
another Fazenda, called Corumata. The country was
undulating but not hilly, and in many places it was covered
with immense blocks of granite ; so large and square are
some of these blocks, that at a distance we mistook a
cluster of them for a large village. Two circumstances
occurred to detain us a long time on the road. Having
dismounted to collect some specimens, my horse ran off
into the woods, and it was nearly an hour before he could
288 TRAVSLS IN BRAZIL.
be taken ; and a little further on, in passing over a sandy
piece of groimd aboimding in ant-hills, the road gave way
while a loaded horse was passing over one of their large
excavations, and as he was more than half buried in the
sand, it was a long time before we could extricate him.
Shortly afterwards, we descended by an exceedingly bad
road, consisting of large blocks of granite, into a valley
throi^h which a small river runs, immediately after cros-
sing which, we arrived at Corumata. The owner of this
farm does not reside on it, the charge of it being given to a
cowherd (Vaqueiro). Here again we conld obtain nothing
to purchase, but the Vaqueiro presented me with a small
piece of dried beef, and abundance of excellent milk ; the
Eazenda, he told me, produces yearly about two hundred
calves ; the cattle go at large in the woods and fields^ but
at this season, which is the one in which the calves are
produced, the Vaqueiro and his assistants, who are gene-
rally slaves, are constantly on the look out for such as
may have calved. The calves are then brought to the
house, and put into a large enclosure called a Curral, and
as a matter of course the mother follows. In this enclo-
sure the cows and the calves are shut up together at
night, but during the day, the cows are turned out to
feed ; this is a very necessary precaution in such a wild
countiy, to prevent the mothers from straying into the
woods ; a httle milk is taken from each cow in the mor-
ning before being turned out, at night they are not
milked at all ; of part of the miUc they make a soft kind
of cheese, which is much relished by all classes of society.
They had not commenced making it here generally,
but in the evening, one of the under herds came to oflfer
CRATO TO PIAUHT. 289
a hacgd one for sale, which I was glad to purchase for the
sake of my men. Shortly after we aiiived at this place,
a tremendous thunder-storm passed over us from the
westward, followed by torrents of rain, and in a short
time the small river became so much swollen as to be
impassable ; as the road to Ganabrava, our next stage,
passes over this stream, we were obliged to remain here
till the following afternoon, when, on attempting to cross
it, we found it stiU so deep, that all the loads had to be
taken off the horses, and carried over on the heads of the
men. Here a curious natural object presents itself: on
a bare conical-shaped hill about 800 feet high, being the
termination of a ridge, called Serra Grande, there is a
stone of immense size placed on the top of another much
smaller, and the point on which it rests, appears to be so
small, that one is led to think that a very slight breeze
would upset it. Keeping along the margin of the river,
we arrived towards sunset at a place where the road
crosses it twice, occasioned by a sudden bend, but we
were informed at Corumata, that there was a bye-path in
the woods, which would render this imnecessary. It was
now night, and although the moon shone very brightly,
we had some difSiculty in finding this path, when we did,
it was so much overgrown with bushes, from being
little frequented, that we had much labour in driving the
horses along it with the loads. After toiling about an
hour in this labyrinth, much to our joy, we reached the
road leading from the river to the Eazenda of Canabrava,
where we arrived in about a quarter of an hour. This
is a very large Fazenda, and when we asked for accom-
modation to pass the night, we were shown to an old
240 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
shed, the roof of which> in many places, was ntiuch de«
cayed; as soon, however, as the proprietor learned from
my men who I was, he invited me into the house, and
prepared an excellent supper, of which we partook with
much relish.
As we left Canabrava early next morning, we expected
to reach our next stage. Boa Esperan9a, about eleven
o'clock in the forenoon, but in this anticipation we were
sadly disappointed. The river rons in a zigzag direction
along a valley which stretches between these two places,
and as the road passes through the centre, we had to
cross the stream no less than eight times in this short
distance, although a road might be made with veiy
little labour, to avoid the river altogether. It is sel-
dom, however, that travellers are annoyed so much as we
were, for during the arid season, the bed of the river is
altogether dry. In four of the passages it was necessary
to take all the loads off the horses, and carry them across
on the heads of the men, but in the others,, we managed
to avoid this trouble, with the exception of the bundles
of paper containing specimens, which I always caused to
be carried over by one of the men. As we were all
obliged to assist in this work, we were exposed during
the greater part of the day to the burning rays of the sun,
nearly in a state of nudity. My legs were very much
burned, as were those of Mr. Walker, so much so, that
on the following day they were completely blistered, and
so greatly swollen that I was laid up for nearly two days.
This taught me a lesson to be more cautious in future;
but on this occasion, I thought that as the blacks did not
hesitate to expose themselves to the sun, I might do so
CKATO TO PIAUHY. 241
also ; their skin, however, I found to my cost, was made
of tougher material than mine. By the time we had
crossed the river, for the eighth and last time, it was
about five o'clock in the afternoon, and in ten minutes
after, we arrived at the Fazenda of Boa Esperan^a, in an
almost exhausted state, from the excessive fatigues of the
day. We were cheered, however, by the kind reception
we received from its excellent and learned proprietor, the
Reverend Padre Marcos de Araujo Costa, and his adopted
son Dr. Marcos de Macedo, who had only a short time
before returned from a visit to France and England,
whither he had been sent at the expense of the Govern-
ment to study the manufacture of porcelain, and whose
acquaintance I had made a few weeks before at Crato,
his native place. On this journey I added but Kttle to
my botanical collections, but in a moist meadow by the
side of the river, I killed a beautiful Boa Constrictor,
about seven feet long. Although these reptiles are fre-
quently met with in the dry country, called the Sertao
they are neither so numerous nor so large as those found
in the swampy plains of Piauhy and Goyaz.
The Fazenda of Boa Esperanpa is one of the largest I
had yet visited in Brazil, giving pasture to upwards of
5,000 head of cattle, and several hundred sheep. Al-
though like all others in the Sertao, it is occasionally
exposed to long droughts, yet here there is an abimdant
supply of water all the year round, even should no rain
fall for more than twelve months. The river passes at a
little distance from the house, and although it only con-
tains water in the wet season, an abundant supply is
obtained at all times, by means of a high and very strong
R
242 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
dam thrown across it at a place where its banks are
somewhat high, and rocky on each side. This dam not-
withstanding that it has been built more than fifty years^
is still as effective as when first constructed, a circum-
stance not a Uttle astonishing in a country like Brazil,
where works of this nature are in general so badly exe-
cuted. The house is built on a slight eminence, and as
there are about thirty smaller houses behind it belonging
to the slaves, the place has all the appearance of a small
village; near the house the Padre has erected a neat
chapel, in which he says mass every morning to his
people.
The country hi which this Fazenda is situated, (as in-
deed, the whole of the eastern portion of Piauhy, and
nearly the whole of the province of Ceara) is called by the
inhabitants of the Sertao, Mimoso, in contradistinction to
the central and western portions of Piauhy, to which the
term Agreste is applied. The vegetation of the Campos
Mimosos is characterized in the first place, by the forests
being of that nature called Catinga ; these are the forests
which I have already spoken of as losing their leaves in
the dry season ; it is remarkable that they form buds like
other deciduous trees, but should no rain fall they can
remain for several years without producing foliage. In
the second place, as has been very correctly remarked by
Von Martins, the general vegetation of the Campos Mi-
mosos is distinguished by the tenderness of fibre, rigi-
dity of the leaves, the presence of hairs, stings or prickles,
small flowers, and thick and frequent imlky juice. The
grasses of the pastures are for the most part annual, and
generally of a brighter green colour, and have more tender
CRATO TO PIAUHY. 248
and pliant leaves than those of the Campos Agrestes, of
which I shall hereafter speak. The cattle reared in the
Mimoso country very soon get fat after the rains have set
in, and their flesh is much more esteemed than that of
those which have been fed on the coarse pastures of the
Agreste districts.
Padre Marcos de Araujo Costa is well known throughout
the north of Brazil, not only for his intelligence and
learning, but for his excellent moral character, and bene-
volent disposition ; and during the eight days I lived in
his house I had ample opportunities of verifying the truth
of these accounts ; if all the priests in the country were
only half as active, well-informed, and as anxious for the
diffusion of education as he is, the condition of Brazil
would soon become very different from what it now is,
and what I fear it will long continue to be, in the present
state of things ; the activity of this old man, for he was
then upwards of sixty years of age, was quite surprising,
and his philanthropy was not less so. As the means of
education in this large and thinly populated country
comes only within the reach of a very few, he has regu-
larly for many years past been in the habit of boarding
and educating in his house, free of expense, twenty boys,
till they have acquired a tolerable knowledge of the Latin
language, and the elements of philosophy and mathematics;
he is himself an excellent scholar, and possesses a pretty
extensive Hbrary of classical and philosophical books;
of botany and natural history he knew enough to render
these subjects an amusement to him ; in his library I found
nearly all the works of Linnaeus, those of Brotero, and the
rare one of Vandelli on the plants of Portugal and Brazil,
r2
244 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
which latter he kindly presented to me; he holds no
Uving in the church, contenting himself with the quiet
and retired life of a cattle farmer, and devoting his leisure
hours to the education of his pupils. During my stay
at Boa Esperanpa I made several short excursions in the
neighbourhood, accompanied by the old Padre and Dr.
Marcos de Macedo, and added many novelties to my col-
lections.
Two days before we left, Senhor Francisco de Souza Mar-
tins, one of the deputies from the province of Piauhy, and
nephew to the President of the province, arrived on his
way to Rio de Janeiro, accompanied by his brother Major
Clementino Martins. They came by way of San Bento,
which is the first stage from this place on the road to
Oeiras, the capital of the province. This was our pro-
posed route, but they gave us so bad an account of the
roads, in consequence of the swelling of the rivulets, that
I determined by their advice, to take a diflTerent road,
which though more circuitous was said to be much better.
The Major and one of the blacks who accompanied him,
were laid up with ague from continued exposure to the
rams.
On the third of March we made preparations for leaving
the residence of the good old Padre. During our stay
we fared most sumptously, as every day in the year a fat
ox is killed for his use and that of his establishment ; a
day or two before our departure one was killed, and the
flesh dried for our use on the journey, so that with other
presents I received from him, our provision boxes were so
well filled that we required Uttle in addition till we reached
the city of Oeiras.
CRATO TO PIAUHY. 245
After an early breakfast I parted with my kind host,
who on account of his other visitors did not accompany
me far, but Dr. Marcos rode with me for upwards of a
league and a half, when we parted with mutual regret, it
being so seldom that one who has a taste for the study of
nature, meets with a kindred spirit in those distant re-
gions ; since my return to England we have kept up a
correspondence, and he has sent me specimens of objects
in natural history, many of which are different from those
which my hmited stay enabled me to obtain. At the very
onset of our journey, we met with an accident that did
not give us a very favourable idea of the state of the road.
At about two leagues from Boa Esperanfa, three of the
cargo horses plunged up to the middle in a swamp ; the
surface was covered with grass, and appeared perfectly
solid, but the soil beneath had become so much saturated
vdth water, that it was quite a mass of tenacious mud. It
was with no small difficulty that the animals were extri-
cated ; in leading them across they often sank again ; all
the loads had to be carried over, and as we had to lend a
hand at this work, we shared the same fate as the horses,
being frequently up to the middle in the mud. These
spots are called Atoleiras by the Brazilians, and are very
much dreaded, as horses are occasionally lost in them ;
during the day we had to pass three more quagmires, but
none so bad as the first.
Our first stage from Boa Esperan^a was the Villa de
Santa Anna das Merces, and when about two leagues from
it, we halted under the shade of an Imbuzeira to dine and
to give the horses a rest. The dry rocky places in this
neighbourhood were covered with a little gregarious Melo-
246 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
cactusy bearing very long recurved spines, and in a moist
sandy place I found many pretty annual plants. About
sunset we came in sight of the Villa, which is situated on
a slight eminence ; on entering it, we put up for the night
in a large unfinished house belonging to Padre Marcos
of Boa Esperan^a, but we were glad to retreat from it as
quickly as possible, for it was so full of fleas that we were
completely covered with them, nor was it till a large fire
had been kindled in the middle of the floor, that the place
became at all bearable. As both Mr. Walker and I had
on very long boots, we suffered much less than the blacks
whose legs, from the knees downwards, were bare : I
observed that when they were kindling the fire they would
hold first one leg and then the other over the flame, and
with their two hands stroke them downwards to get rid
of these annoying creatures. In other places in Brazil I
have met with these insects in abundance in houses which
have been shut up for some time, but never did I see
them so numerous as they were here ; to escape their at-
tacks during the night, we were obUged to sling our ham-
mocks very high, and to undress on the top of a table.
The Villa de Santa Anna das Mercys, or as it is more
commonly called Jaicoz, is situated about five leagues to
the west of Boa Esperan^a, and contains about seventy
or eighty houses built in the form of a large square, but
only three sides of it were then completed ; in the centre
of this square there is a very handsome small church.
The outskirts of the town contain many huts belonging
to the poorer classes, chiefly constructed of the stems
and leaves of the Camahuba palm, which grows abun-
dantly in the neighbourhood; a few shopkeepers, and
CRATO TO PIAUHY. 247
tradesmen, such as tailors, shoe-makers, &c., reside con-
stantly in the town, but the greater number of the houses
belong to the neighbouring Eazendeiros, who only occupy
them during the Christmas and other festivals. Shortly
after leaving the Villa, on the following morning, we
ascended a low Serra which runs past the northern end
of it ; like almost all the other Serras which exist in the
north of Brazil it is quite level on the top ; it consists
entirely of a coarse white sandstone very full of rounded
quartz pebbles ; the latter are also very abundant to a
great distance round the Villa, and in many places the
roads have the appearance of having been gravelled with
them. The breadth of this Serra at the place where we
crossed it, is about a league and a half; and it is princi-
pally covered with low Mimosas and Crotofiy which in
many places grow so thickly together as to be almost
impenetrable. The few open tracts which exist on it
afford good pasture during the rains. After descending
from this Taboleira, we entered a flat well-wooded country,
and having twice crossed a small river which was consi-
derably swollen, we arrived at the Fazenda of St. Antonio
early in the forenoon ; the distance we travelled was only
three leagues, but as the next stage was said to be long,
and as the accounts we received of the state of the roads
were bad, we remained at this place till the following
morning. The Fazenda of St. Antonio is small, its stock
of cattle yielding only about one hundred and fifty calves
per annum ; many of them, as well as of the ftdl grown
cattle, the owner informed me, fell victims to the Ounces
which are not uncommon in the neighbourhood. About
three months previously he killed a large black one, and
248 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the skin and head which he had preserved, showed it to
have been an animal of great size and power. This head,
as well as those of several others, which from time to time
he had destroyed, were stuck up on the tops of tall posts
near the entrance to his Curral.
At daybreak on the following morning we left St. An-
tonio, and after a journey of six long leagues reached a
little hamlet called Cachimbinho ; the country between
the two places is nearly level, and the road one of the
worst on which we had yet travelled. The river we forded
on the previous day runs to the westward in a zigzag
direction, and the road crosses it no less than twenty-
seven times, on which occasions, owing to the depth of
the water, the loads had to be taken off the horses, and
carried over on the heads of the men ; we had also to
cross several small lakes through which the road passes,
and having the mortification tp lose our way, it cost us
much additional trouble to regain the right track.
Shortly after leaving San Antonio we passed through
a forest of Camahuba palms, in which were several
large lakes, which contain water only in the dry season.
On the margin of one of these we saw a number of water-
fowl, called by the inhabitants Jabiru {Mycteria Americanay
Lin.) ; these birds, which are nearly related to the Adju-
tants of India, are of immense size ; they are of a white
colour, with the exception of the head, neck, beak, and
feet, which are black ; the black skin investing the head
and neck is destitute of feathers. We afterwards met with
them in much greater abundance by the margins of streams
and lakes, where they feed upon small reptiles, fishes, &c.
The vegetation of the other parts of the country through
CRATO TO PIAUHT. 249
which we passed was principally virgin forest, with an
underwood of Croton BauhiniUy and trailing Mimosa.
Near a Fazenda called Ambrosia, the road led under some
large trees, on one of these I observed some hundreds of
Marmoset monkeys, one of which I shot for a specimen ;
it fell before it was quite dead, and its pitiable screams
brought back all its companions to the tree from which
they had fled when I fired ; here they remained for about
ten minutes, when the cries of the wounded one having
ceased, they left, and soon disappeared among the branches
of the other trees of the forest ; it was impossible not to
admire the graceful activity they displayed in passing from
tree to tree, and from bough to bough.
On the following day we travelled about five leagues, and
shortly after mid-day arrived at a Fazenda called Retiro.
The two first leagues led through a vi]^n forest, consisting
almost entirely of a kind of Mimosa called Angica, (the
bark of which is used all over the Sertao for tanning
leather, and a gum which it exudes is said to form the
principal food of the Marmoset monkey), a Zizyphus
(Joazeira), and a few large species of Biffnonia, with
an underwood of Croton Baukinia, Zantana, Myrtles, &c.
The road continued quite level, and we frequently passed
the same stream we crossed the day before, without the
necessity of removing the loads. Leaving this forest tract
we entered one more open, and abounding in Camahubas ;
in many places the soil was very sandy, and scant of her-
baceous vegetation. At about three leagues from Cachim-
binho we passed through a small hamlet called Samam-
baia, consisting of about twenty scattered houses. The
principal occupation of the inhabitants is the manufacture
250 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of hammocks, which are sold chiefly to travellers who
pass this way. They are made of cotton, which grows very
well in the neighbourhood. Erom Samambaia the country
still continues very flat till within a short distance of
Retire, when it becomes more undulating, exhibiting
several ridges of lime-stone, nearly bare of vegetation, or
of a fine red sandstone, which Ues beneath the limestone,
fiill of nodules of iron-stone, which from the wearing
away of the rock are thickly strewn over the surface ; they
are of all sizes, from very minute particles, to rounded
blocks as large as two fists ; they are of a black, or very
dark brown colour, assume a variety of shapes, and,
judging from their weight, are rich in iron.
The Fazenda of Retire stands on a rising ground on
the banks of the Rio das Guaribas, which was one of the
largest we had yet encountered, but from the recent dry
weather, the water was so low, that on the following
morning we crossed it without difficulty ; its banks exhi-
bited signs of having but a short time before been very
much flooded- A journey of two leagues brought us to
a Fazenda called Buquerao, where in consequence of rain
we remained till the following morning, when continuing
our route through a generally flat country, but fiill of
isolated rocky hills, containing few trees, and a very
scanty herbaceous vegetation, we arrived at the Eazenda
of Canabrava, after travelling about four leagues. This
estate belongs to Col. Martins, the father of the two gen-
tlemen whom we met at Boa Esperan^a, and brother to
the Baiuo de Pamahiba, the President of the Province
of Piauhy. As I carried letters of introduction to him
from Padre Marcos, I was received with the greatest
GRATO TO PIAUHY. 251
politeness and hospitality; here we remained for the
night, and on the following morning were not allowed to
leave till we had partaken of a breakfast of coffee, which
the Colonel told us was an excellent preventive for ague,
which is very common at this season, in the country we
were now about to enter. The old man was in deep
grief at the loss of one of his sons, who but a short time
before, had died suddenly at his Eazenda about twenty-
four leagues distant. As several roads led off in various
directions a little beyond the house, he kindly sent a
black boy to put us in the right path. A journey of
about five and a half leagues, through a beautiful grassy
country abounding in herds of fine cattle, brought us to
a plantation called Canavieira, belonging to Major Cle-
mentino Martins, whom we met at Boa Esperan^a ; we
saw here a large field of sugar-cane, being the first we
had met with since we left Brejo Grande. As the Major
never resides at this place, the house is a very poor one,
and in a very ruined condition ; we were obliged to take
up our quarters in a sort of shed, which formed a great
contrast to the comfortable lodgings we had enjoyed the
night before. A day or two afterwards, we found in
consequence of sleeping in this hut, that a number of
those little insects called Chigoes {Ptdex penetrans^ Lin.)
had got into our feet : they are only found near dwellings,
and are met with in all parts of the country I visited,
from the sea-coast to the high mountains in the Diamond
district. They burrow under the skin to produce their
young, the insect itself dying, they are at first easily de-
tected, by the not unpleasant tickling sensation they
produce in entering the skin, and of course are easily
252 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
removed by a pin or the point of a pen-knife. When
they have reached maturity, the abdomen becomes a bag
about the size of a small pea, fiill of eggs, of a yellow
colour, and the spot looks like a fester. Unless this bag
and its contents are carefully removed, a bad sore may
be produced ; the feet of careless blacks not unfrequently
get into so bad a state firom neglecting to remove these
insects, that amputation of the part becomes necessary.
On this journey I made numerous new and beautiful
additions to my botanical collections ; when passing over
a low flat hill, the top of which was rather rocky and
bare, I found large patches covered with a dwarf firuticose
Cuphea with smaQ leaves, bearing numerous purple
flowers, and so much did this plant at first sight resemble
the heather of my native lulls, that I imagined I had
found a species of that genus; although disappointed,
this little incident recalled many pleasant recollections of
home. It is a remarkable fact in the geographical dis-
tribution of plants, and not generally known to those
who have not made that subject their study, that though
heaths are very common in Europe and Africa, not a
single species has hitherto been detected on the American
continent, either South or North. - This is the more re-
markable, as the great mass of vegetation at the Cape of
Good Hope is made up of these plants, nearly four hun-
dred different kinds having already been found there.
From Canavieira, a journey of six leagues brought us to
the banks of the Bio Caninde, at a place called Fassagem
de Dona Antonia, and distant only a league and a half
from the city of Oeiras. Our route was through an
almost continued forest of Cajmahuba palms, and as the
CRATO TO PIAUHT. 253
Rio das Guaribas ran nearly parallel with it, and had
recently overflowed the flat country on each side to a
great distance, we found the roads very bad from the
great deposit of mud, which had been left often more
than a foot deep. In many places the palm stems shewed
by their muddy appearance, that the water had covered
them to the depth of upwards of twelve feet. At this
season, intermittent and malignant fevers are very preva-
lent, from the malaria arising from the vast tracts of
country left dry by the fall of the rivers. It being too
late when we arrived to cross the river and reach the
city before dark, we remained with some other travellers
at the ferry-house for the night.
Next morning, the 12th of March, all our luggage was
taken over to the opposite side of the river, in a small
canoe, which had to return several times, and afterwards
the horses were swam over one by one. Passing through
a flat sandy country covered with small trees and beau-
tiful flowering shrubs, we reached the city of Oeiras
about eleven o'clock in the forenoon.
CHAPTER Vni.
OEIEAS TO PABNAGUA.
The Author's reception by the President of Piauhy — City of Oeiras
described — Its Population — Its Trade with the Coast — Great want
of Biver Navigation — ^Its chief exports are hides and cattle — Ita
Climate — Diseases — Character of the Barao de Pamahiba — ^Hia
great power in the Province — History of this Bemarkable Man — ^And
of the Civil War on declaration of the Independence of Brazil — Be-
sources of the Province — ^National Cattle Parms — Course of the
Author's Journey quite changed by an alarming Bevolt — ^This Insur-
rection described — ^He determines on travelling southwards through
Groyaz and Minas G«raes — Leaves Oeiras — Description of the
Country — Chapadas — Passes through many Cattle Parms — Curious
mode of catching Cattle — Passes Pombas — Algodoes — Grolfes —
Betiro Alegre — Genipapo— Canavieira — Urusuhy — ^Prazeres — ^Des-
cription of a Piauhy Family — ^Beaches Flores — Bapoza — ^Arrives at
Pamagua — ^Universal Hospitality of the Natives — Salt found in the
Neighbourhood.
As I brought several letters of recommendation with
me to the Barao de Pamahiba, the President of the Pro-
vince, I made enquiries for his house on entering the
city, and was directed to it by a soldier. The Palacio,
as it is called, is situated on the most elevated part of
the town, is of one story, and has a very ordinary appear-
ance. On arriving at the door I found it guarded by a
sentinel, one of the most abject looking beings that can
OEIRAS TO PARNAOUA. 255
be imagined. He was a young mulato, dressed in the
uniform of the troops of the line, which seemed as if it
had not been off his back for the last six years ; his cloth
cap was old and greasy, his blue jacket one half patches
and the other half holes, was open in front, displaying
his naked breast, for he could not boast the possession of
a shirt ; his trowsers were a little better than his jacket,
and his bare feet were thrust into a pair of old shoes,
down at the heels, and open at the toes. Had it not
been for his musket, and his upright position, I should
certainly have taken him for a beggar. There was a
pavement a few feet in breadth in front of the house,
upon which, when I stopped, my horse's forefeet rested,
and, before I had time to speak, the sentinel started
forward, seized the bridle, and turned h\m off into the
street. I then dismounted and was about to proceed to
the door, but no sooner had I put foot upon the pave-
ment, than I was served in the same way as my horse
had been, and told that no one was allowed to enter the
palace with spurs on. These I instantly took off, and
having asked if anything else was necessary to be done,
I was at last allowed to enter.
On reaching the lobby I was met by a sergeant, who
asked me if I wished to speak with his Excellency, and
who, on being told that I had letters for him, said that
it was his duty to deliver them. After waiting about
a quarter of an hour in the lobby, I was shown into
a large room containing two small tables, a sofa, and
a few chairs. Here I had not been more than five
ndnutes, when his Excellency made his appearance with
my letters in his hand. He told me to excuse him while
256 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
he read them, as also to pardon his undress, which he
wore, he said, on account of the great heat of the day.
The dress he had on was certainly one of a very light
nature, but was that generally worn in the house by the
inhabitants of this province ; it consisted of a thin white
cotton shirt hanging loose over a pair of drawers of the
same material, which reached but a short way below his
knees ; his legs and feet were bare, the latter being thrust
into a pair of old slippers ; around his neck were several
rosaries, with crucifixes and other appendages of gold
attached to them.
While he was looking over my letters I could not help
scrutinizing the appearance of an individual whose name
is more celebrated than that of any other in the north of
Brazil, and whose despotic government of the Province
of which he is President, has gained for him the appella-
tion of ' The Francia of Piauhy'. He was low in stature
and strongly built, though not corpulent, and his looks
bespoke considerably more activity, both of body and
mind, than is generally met with in persons of his age in
Brazil, for he was then about seventy years old; his
head was remarkably large, and, according to the princi-
ples of phrenology, was pretty well balanced before and
behind, but deficient in the region of the moral sentiments,
and was of considerable breadth between the ears. In
conversation his countenance had a sinister unpleasant
expression, notwithstanding that it was generally covered
with a half-formed smile. After finishing the letters, all
of which he read over very carefiilly, we entered into a
conversation respecting my visit to the province, but I
could not make him understand that my collections were
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA. 257
for any other purpose than that of being converted into
medicine or dye stuffs. That the productions of nature
were studied for any other piurpose than as regards their
mere utiUty to man, he could not form the shghtest idea.
As soon as he learned that it was my intention to remain
for some time in the city, he sent a person to procure an
empty house for my use ; and, as it was not furnished,
he was kind enough to send me two chairs, a table, and
a large earthem pot to hold water.
The city of Oeiras, the capital of the Province of Piauhy,
is situated in a large circular valley, about a league in
breadth, nearly surrounded by a broken range of low
hills composed of a soft whitish-coloured sandstone. Until
the year 1724, when it was raised to the dignity of a
city, it was known by the name of Villa da Mocha, from
a little stream which passes close to it and all the year
round yields an abundant supply of water, which, how-
ever, in the dry season is very much impregnated with
saltpetre. It is very irregularly built, consisting princi-
pally of a large square, and a few streets which proceed
from the south and west sides of it. The population does
not exceed three thousand souls ; the most respectable
part of which, not including those in the employ of the
government, are shopkeepers who retail European goods.
The greater part of the merchandize comes from Maran-
ham, being carried in large canoes up the Rio Itapicuru
to Cachias, from whence they are brought to Oeiras on
the backs of horses. A portion is also brought by the
same means from Bahia, but the distance is much too
great to render such expeditions profitable ; this is brought
by drovers who go there yearly with cattle for sale.
258 TKAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Sometimes a solitary launch of twenty tons bm'den, laden
with salt, arrives in the Rio Caninde, opposite Oeiraa
from the Villa da Pamahiba, a flourishing town near the
coast on the east bank of a large river of the same name,
which divides the Provinces of Maranham and Piauhy,
and up which the navigation takes place. One such
arrived during my visit, but it took nearly three months
to perform the distance, which is about one hundred
leagues. It is only during the rainy season, when the
river is flooded, that this voyage can be undertaken, and
the current is then so strong that the vessel has to be
pushed up by poles all the way. Owing to the length of
time, and the number of men required, it is seldom that
such a speculation terminates profitably. It has been
recently proposed by Mr. Sturz, the Consul General for
Brazil, in Prussia, to navigate this stream by a small
steamboat, but there are many reasons for concluding
that this will never be successfully put into execution.
It is not probable that the middle and southern portions
of the Province will ever be much more populous than
they are at present, as from the great yearly droughts to
which they are liable, the cultivation of cotton or sugar
can never be carried on. The only articles of export are
cattle and hides, and the latter is all that a steamer would
get as cargo downwards. As regards the import of
European goods, it is not likely that the traffic would
soon be changed from Mamham to Pamahiba. The river,
moreover, would only be navigable during the rainy
season, at which period the force of the current, and
the numerous shifting sandbanks which its bed is said to
contain, would render the transit both slow and d^Scult.
OEIRAS TO PAKNAGUA. 259
The dty contains three churches, two of which though
now of considerable age, are unfinished. There are also
several other pubUc buildings, such as a jail, military
barracks, the provincial house of assembly, the Camara
municipal, and hospital, but none of these are deserving
of notice excepting the jail, which was then just com-
pleted; it was erected under the superintendence of a
German engineer, who has resided in the province several
years in the employ of the government ; it consists of
two stories, in which respect only two other buildings like
it are to be found in the city ; the lower part and wings
serve as prisons and a house of correction, the upper story
being used as a court of Justice. At the north end of
the city there is a fine large building, now falling into
ruins, which was the college of the Jesuits previous to
their expulsion from Brazil.
The seasons are very regular in this district, and
although very few old persons are seen, it is not consi-
dered unhealthy. A few showers generally take place in
the month of October, but the regular rains do not set in
till about the beginning of January, when they continue
till the beginning of May ; during this period thunder
storms are veiy common, fearfully loud, and of long
duration, and accidents it is said do not unfrequently occur
from them. Between Crato and Oeiras we saw several
large trees which had been shivered in pieces by Ughtning;
and while in Oeiras I was informed that a Fazendeiro
who was returning to his country house, after one of the
chiu*ch festivals, sent his family, consisting of his wife and
several children, vfdth their attendant slaves, a short dis-
tance before him ; on overtaking them he was shocked to
s2
260 TKAVELS IN BRAZIL.
find them all dead, having been strack by lightning fiom
a thunder storm which was then passing over. The
months of May, June, and July, are the most pleasant of
the season, for then the rains have ceased, and everything
continues fresh and green, and the atmosphere is com-
paratively cool, from a strong S.E. wind which prevails
during this period. After the month of July a great
change takes pla<5e, the whole country begins to wear a
dry and arid appearance, the grass and other herbaceous
vegetation wither up, and the trees and shrubs throw off
their leaves. At this period too the cooling S.E. winds
cease, and are followed by light variable ones or by calms,
from which cause the air becomes so much heated, that
no one stirs abroad, excepting those who are under the
necessity of doing so.
The principal diseases in and around the city are
agues and malignant fevers, particularly at the beginning
and end of the rainy season ; after the rains have ceased,
and during the prevalence of the south east wind, pec-
toral complaints are not uncommon, and many cases of
ophthalmia occur ; in the latter, either because of improper
treatment, or from neglect, many persons lose their sight.
But the complaint for which I was most frequently called
upon to prescribe, was dyspepsia, which, under its various
forms, these people are most subject to; asthma and paraly-
sis are also prevalent. At the time I visited Oeiras it could
boast of two resident medical men and an apothercary's
shop ; the latter was but very poorly furnished with medi-
cines, and those neither new nor of the best quality. The
senior of the two medical men, Senhor Jose Luiz da Silva,
an inteUigent and amiable person, from whom I received
0£I11A8 TO PARNAGUA, 261
much kindness, holds the office of Cimrgiao mor, and
has chai^ of a small hospital, which is almost entirely
devoted to the service of the military. He is a Portuguese
by birth, and in his youth acted as a surgeon in the navy
of that country. He had now resided thirty-six years in
Oeiras, and was the father of a large and respectable
family. The other, a young Brazilian, educated at Bahia,
ill instructed, and of an unamiable disposition, was assasi-
nated in the street a few months after I left. Although
they both of them were accustomed to treat diseases
generally, neither of them had the skill, and consequently,
the courage to undertake any serious operation, notwith-
standing that many cases had long called for profes-
sional assistance. An opportunity was thus afforded me
of undertaking several operations, which few young sur-
geons in England have it in their power to attempt. The
most serious of these were depression of Cataract, and
Lithotomy ; the former I performed three times, but with
success only in one case, when such was the astonishment
produced in the minds of these simple people, by the
blind regaining his sight, that it was spoken of through
the country as a result Uttle short of a miracle. The
operation for stone in the bladder was likewise performed
by me three times, in all cases with the greatest success,
and it is deserving of remark that these were the only
instances of this complaint that I met with during my
whole travels ; there can be no doubt, therefore, that this
complaint is of very rare occurrence in the country, but it
is not easy to say from what cause this originates. My
first patient was an otherwise healthy free black man,
about thirty years of age, and it was astonishing to see
262 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the rapidity with which the wound healed, but this has
been found to occur universally in people of his colour.
The second was a poor mulatto, who lived in a little
palm hut in the outskirts of the city ; both these poor
fellows did all in their power to show their gratitude, and
would willingly have parted with all they possessed to
repay me, but of course I would take nothing fix)m them.
The third case was the most remari^ble of all: the
patient was a man about forty-five years of age, and one
of the most respectable shopkeepers in the city. About
nine years before my arrival, he had been treated by the
siu-geon in chief for stricture of the urethra, when by im-
proper treatment a portion of a small leaden bougie passed
into the bladder ; this formed the nucleus for the stone,
from which cause he suffered the most excruciating
agonies that mortal could endure. I was consulted by
him on my arrival, when I assured him that nothing but
an operation would relieve him from his sufferings ; being,
however, of a very timid disposition, he would not consent
to its performance, till after he heard of the success of the
other two cases ; assisted by my friend the Cirurgiao m6r,
I happily succeeded in extricating the stone, which was
about two inches in length. This occurred about a month
before I left the place, by which time he was so far re-
covered as to be able to walk about his room. After a
period of eighteen months I received a letter which he
sent to meet me at Rio de Janeiro, in which he informed
me that he had perfectly recovered, and offered me a
thousand thanks (mil grafas) for the good service rendered
to him. Before I left, he gave me a very handsome gra-
tuity of three hundred Spanish dollars, two fine horses,
OBIBAS TO PABNA0T7A. 268
and many little necessaries suited for the journey I was
then about to undertake.
The province of Piauhy sends two members to the na-
tional chamber of Deputies in Rio, but in all that relates
to its internal government, the Barao de Famahiba rules
with despotic sway. He has been its President ever since
the establishment of the independence of the Empire,
with the exception of one short period, when another person
was sent to supersede him, but he did not hold his appoint-
ment long, dying suddenly, and under suspicious circum-
stances. Since that period although the Presidents of
all the other provinces are changed eveiy two or three
years, he has remained constantly in oflEice. He is more
feared than respected by the mass of the population and
on an emergency can command among his own friends
and dependants more than 2000 jstaunch supporters : he
has always at his call those who are both ready and wil^
ling to execute his orders of whatever nature these may
be. By the firmness of his government he has acquired
many enemies, especially by the enactment of some pro-
vincial laws, respecting which it must be confessed in
their favour, that their tendency is always to benefit the
poorer classes of the inhabitants : among others, he has
forbidden that beef and farinha, the two principal articles
of food, be sold in the city above a certain fixed price,
and that a very low one ; however, he has always taken
care that his own cattle be sent to Bahia and other distant
more profitable markets, having abundant facilities for
such arrangements. Although generally ill informed, he
possesses a great share of shrewdness and cunning, qualifi-
cations highly requisite for the maintainance of the despo-
264 ' TBAVEL8 IN BRAZIL
tism with which he has hitherto governed the province,
under which it can certainly boast of a greater amoimt of
peace and quietness, than almost any other province in the
Empire. It is not a little strange that, notwithstanding
his many enemies, only one attempt has hitherto been made
to assassinate him, and that so late as the year before I
arrived there.
On the 17th of January, 1838, on returning fix)m one of
hisFazendas, and when about half a league fix)m the city,
he was fired at from behind some bushes, the shot only
wounded him in the right shoulder. The assassins, for
there were two, fled immediately, and one of them ap-
peared among the first to congratulate the Baiao on his
arrival after so fortunate an escape. Parties were instantly
dispatched to scour the woods in pursuit of the delin-
quents, and a black man who was found hidden among
some bushes, and who could not give a good account of
himself, was taken to the city, and on being interrogated,
confessed that although he was one of the parties, he did
not fire the shot, the person who did so being one Joaquim
Seleiro, a mulato saddler, who lived in the house of the
Barao. This man was said to be of a very vicious disposi-
tion, and of strong passions ; and it was well known that a
few days before the occurrence, he had been iU used in
some manner by the Barao, without just cause. At the
time he was denounced, he was leading a party in the
woods in search of the assassins ; and was not a little
astonished on his return to find himself a prisoner. He
strongly denied the crime of which few deemed him to
be innocent ; the laws of the country do not inflict the
penalty of death for a mere attempt at murder, he was
0EIRA8 TO PAB17AOT7A. 265
therefore committed to prison^ where he died twenty-six
days after the perpetration of that crime, under circum-
stances that have given rise to suspicious reports.
To those who are interested in the history of Brazil, a
shght sketch of the life of so extraordinary a man as the
Baiao de Famahiba, may not be uninteresting, as his
name is intimately connected with the establishment of the
independence of the northern provinces. His father was
a native of the Azores, and was very poor when he arrived
in Brazil, but he soon married a lady possesed of a small
property ; of the family resulting from this union, the
subject of this notice was the eldest, being bom in the
year 1776. His only education consisted in learning to
read and write, and in acquiring a slight knowledge of
arithmetic. His first occupation was that of a cowherd
(vaqueiro) to his father, who died when he was only twenty
years of age, leaving him a Fazenda worth about 1,500
cruzados, (£200. sterling) ; during his childhood he was
brought up by a godmother, who at her death left him
another Fazenda of nearly equal value. After his father's
death, not content with the occupation of vaqueiro,he began
to purchase cattle with the view of taking them to Bahia
for sale, to which place he continued to go every year, till
about twenty-five years ago, although from that period up
to the present, he has never failed to send annually a drove
of cattle to the same market. Shortly after his father's
death he was enlisted, as was then the custom, into the
cavalry militia ; here he was soon advanced to the post of
corporal which he held for a long time ; he was next
elevated to the rank of ensign, and about the same time
was appointed treasurer of the national rents. Occupied
266 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
in this manner, he continued till the period of the declar
ration of independence, when his name had acquired but
little weight in the province, being better known for his
cunning disposition and uncouth manners, than for any
more eminent quaUties. It was his custom to bestow gifts
and attentions, and be very obsequious to all persons high
in authority, such as governors, judges, &c., providing
always men, horses, and provisions to bring them up from
the coast. In this manner he ingratiated himself in their
favour and after their arrival was always their obedient
servant ; and without regard to their line of politics was
ever a staunch supporter of their measures : he made it his
endeavour on all occasions to gain the good opinions of the
religious part of the community, by showing himself to be
a great friend to all that belonged to the church, on which
account he was anxious to be appointed director of its
festivals, on which he did not hesitate to spend lai^
sums; in this manner he obtained the good will and
friendship of the priesthood.
At the time when Dom Joao the sixth gave the Consti-
tution to Portugal, the larger provinces of Brazil were
ruled by Governors General (Govemadores Geraes), and
the smaller by Governors only, the power of all being to a
certain extent despotic. At this time the province of Piauhy
was committed to the charge of Elias Jose Bibeiro de
Carvalho, a native of Portugal, but immediately on the pro*
clamation of the constitution in the mother country, he was
recalled when the province fell to the care of a provisional
Government, consisting of six members one of whom was
the present President. It was during this time that a Major
Fedie arrived at Oeiras from Bio de Janeiro, as commander
0EIRA8 TO PABKAOUA. 267
in chief of the military force in the province ; and who
soon afterwards became notorious for his opposition to the
cause of iadependence. It was also during the reign of
this Govemo Provisorio, as it was called, that Dom Pedro
Primeiro proclaimed the independence of Brazil. It was
of course a long time before the news of this great event,
that had taken place in Rio, reached this far distant pro-
vince, and when the accounts arrived Fedie, true to the
fealty he owed Dom Joao, who had sent him thither, and
supposing it to be only a disturbance of short duration,
firmly opposed its proclamation in the city of Oeiras;
and as soon as he learned it had been supported in the
Villa da Pamahiba, he collected all the troops and militia
he could raise, and marched against the inhabitants of that
place, notwithstanding that he received previously official
notice firom the newly declared central Government in Rio,
ordering him to proclaim the independence of the country
in the city. At this time also, advices arrived from the
provinces of Bahia and Ceara, both of which had followed
the example of the capital, strongly urging the most in-
fluential persons in the province to adopt the same course
in Piauhy, but all refused to do so, declaring themselves
to be firm supporters of the constitution of Dom Joao.
At this time the influence of the Baiao was so small
that none of the letters were addressed to him, but the
opportunity did not escape him, for by the same posts that
carried the above answers, he sent notice to both places
that he was willing, in conjunction with several of his
friends, to give his warmest support and proclaim the cause
of independence. Shortly after the departure of Pedie
for Pamahiba, the Barao received answers to his letters,
268 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
and was uiged to lose no time in canying his proposal into
effect, to which end he immediately apprehended the
members of the provisional Government, who were in
Oeiras, and confined them in prison, together with others
who wereTeither known or suspected to belong to the
opposite ''party. The inhabitants of Famahiba learning
that Fedie was on the march for that place, united them-
selves aud advanced on the road to meet him, the en-
counter took place at Campo Maior, about half way
between' Oeiras and Pamahiba, where in a very short
time Fedie completely' defeated the other party and put
them to rout. In the meantime the Barao was using
every exertion to raise men to march against Fedie, who
was the most powerful opponent he had to dread. In
order to give more weight to his authority, he first pro-
claimed himself President of the province ; and under
the pretence that Fedie was about to return to Oeiras, and
that it was necessary to place them in security, he seized
on the funds of the provincial treasury, which was said
to be very rich at that time, but it is generally reported
that the greater part of this treasure was never suffi-
ciently accounted for ; it is certain that at this time he laid
the foundation of the great wealth which he at present pos-
sesses. He immediately sent advices to Bio de Janeiro
stating what he had done, and in return Dom Pedro con-
firmed him in the Presidentship, advanced him to the rank
of Colonel in the militia, and created his brother Com-
mander-in-chief in lieu of Fedie. The latter not wishing
to return to Oeiras, where every one was now in arms
against him, marched immediately to the Villa de Cachias,
the most flourishing town in the interior of the province
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA . 269
of Maranham ; and which still remained loyal to the Por-
tuguese cause. The imperial troops from Oeiras, having
now united with those defeated at Campo Maior, together
with about 2,500 more from the province of Ceara, headed
by the President of Piauhy and his brother, marched to
Cachias against Fedie, who with no more than 250 men
maintained his position in that town for the long period
of eleven months, and it was only when famine reduced
them to the last necessity, that he capitulated, and was
led back to Oeiras a prisoner. Thence he was conveyed
to Rio, when he was liberated and sent to Portugal.
The march to Cachias was another fortunate circum-
stance, which it is said the President did not fail to turn
to good account, for as nearly all the inhabitants of that
place were natives of Portugal, and, consequently, favour-
able to the union of the two countries, they were naturally
considered by the' Brazilians as enemies, and, conse-
quently, treated as such, in the worst possible manner,
for they were murdered and robbed without mercy. To
save their lives and property, many of them are said to
have paid the President very handsomely for his protec-
tion, and in this manner he is believed to have amassed
an immense sum of money. After his return from Ca-
chias the Emperor raised him to the rank of a Brigadier,
and created him Barao de Pamahiba. The entire
management of the aflTairs of the province was left in his
bands, as it still is, and, consequently, all situations were
filled up either by his own relations, or by persons be-
longing to his party. On. the occasion of the coronation
of the present Emperor, he was created a Viscount.
One of the great sources from which the provincial
270 • TRAVELS IN BRAZIL!
treasury, above alluded to, derives its income, is the profit
resulting £rom the sale of cattle which are reared on
thirty-three Fazendas belonging to the crown. About
the end of the seventeenth century, one Domingo Alfonso
established a number of cattle-farms in difiPerent parts of
( the province, and at his death thirty of these were put
/ into the hands of the Jesuits, on the condition that the
I profits should be applied to charitable purposes ; when the
Jesuits were expelled from the country, these Fazendas,
together with others they had purchased, became the pro-
perty of the state. On an average about 3,000 head of
cattle are sold annually; they are disposed of to the highest
bidder, and although the price varies in difierent years,
6,000 reis (about fifteen shillings) may be taken as their
mean value ; were these properties well managed a much
larger profit might be derived from them. Besides the sala-
ries paid to three inspectors, amounting to 300,000 reis
each, every Fazenda is managed by a vaqueiro, whose income
is derived from the fourth part of the cattle and horses
annually reared. These situations are much sought after,
as in the course of a few years, the persons who hold them
save large sums of money, having no house-rent to pay,
and being allowed to have all the profits resulting from
the other produce of the farm, such as sheep, goats, pigs,
cheese, &c. ; to assist in looking after the cattle, the govern-
ment provides them with slaves whom they are obliged
to supply with food and clothing, the former being all
produced on the farm, and the latter, which is both scanty
and coarse, costing but a mere trifle.
Shortly after my arrival in Oeiras, some very serious
disturbances took place in the neighbouring jnrovince of
0EIRA8 TO PABNAOUA. 271
Maranham, which prevented me from following out my
original plan of proceeding westward to the Bio Tocan-
tins ; I shall briefly notice the origin and progress of
these disorders. In November, 1838, the Prefect of
Cachias sent four soldiers to apprehend a criminal in the
Arraial da Chapada, about forty leagues distant; the
brother of this individual, one Raimundo Gomez, a mes-
tifo, better known by the name of Cara preta (black face),
and a party of nine other men whom he had engaged to
assist him, disarmed the soldiers and sent them back ; a
greater number of soldiers were then dispatched by the
Prefect to accomplish the same object, but by this time
Eaimundo had increased his band by a number of vaga-
bonds who are never wanting in the interior, and who are
always more ready to join in a disturbance, than to follow
any regular employment; on this occasion the soldiers
were agam beaten back. In a short time, this band was
greatly augmented by the desertion of slaves, by Indians,
and others, who now commenced a regular system of
pillage, attacking the Fazendas, and taking away what-
ever they pleased. As soon as the President of the pro-
vince was informed of these circumstances, he dispatched
a troop of about three hundred soldiers to disperse these
robbers, but by some mismanagement, after having en-
countered them at Chapada, their ammunition failed, and
they were obliged to surrender themselves into the hands
of Raimundo; the lieutenant-colonel who commanded
them, and a captain were put to the sword, but the rest
of the officers and soldiers had their lives spared, on con-
dition that they consented to join the insurgents ; and
it is said that the greater part did so with good will.
272 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Raimimdo thus strengthened, now regularly organized his
party, appointing the officers he had captured his secre-
taries, as neither he nor any of his own partizans could
read or write. It is pretty certain that about this time,
he entered into correspondence with a party in the city
of Maranham, which being opposed to the monarchial
form of government wished its overthrow; from this
source it is said that both arms and ammunition were
secretly supplied to Raimundo's troops.
They now took up their quarters at a place called
Brejo, rapidly increasing in numbers, principally by run-
away slaves from the large cotton plantations in the
neighbourhood. In the month of April, 1839, this united
force amounted to about 5,000 men, the principal officer,
besides Raimundo, being an old Indian, known by the
name of 0 Balaio (the basket), from his having formerly
gained a Uvelihood by making baskets, and selUng them in
the streets of Cachias. Being well armed, the rebel army,
as it was called, marched to Cachias with the intention of
taking it ; at this time there were only about twenty
soldiers in the town commanded by a lieutenant, but all
the inhabitants rose in arms to defend it. The rebels
besieged the place for about six weeks, allowing no pro-
visions to enter, at the end of which time, the inhabitants
being in a state of starvation, and unable to hold out
longer, were obliged to capitulate on the 30th of June ;
the terms of this capitulation were, that all the military
stores in the place, amounting to 5,000 stand of arms,
and 800 barrels of gunpowder, should be deUvered up,
and a siun equivalent to seventy per cent, on the goods
of each merchant and shopkeeper, be paid immediately ;
OEIRAS TO PARNAOUA. 273
The Prefect and several other leading men in the town
also, in terms of the capitulation, declared prisoners, and
kept in close confinement for several months.
As these disturbances took place principally to the
north of Oeiras, I had still hopes of being able to proceed
to the westward, but just as I was making preparations
to leave, several persons arrived in Oeiras from Pastos
Boms, a small town a little to the west of the Rio Pama-
hiba, exactly on the route I had intended to foUow. I
learned from them that a party of the rebels had been sent
from Cachias to take that place, where five Portuguese and
one Brazilian, who were known to be opposed to them, had
been massacred, and their families robbed of all their pro-
perty. News now reached Oeiras that Raimundo and his
army, flushed with their success, were about to march from
Cachias to take that city. The Barao de Pamahiba, who
previously had been raising troops to send to the succour of
Cachias, now redoubled his exertions, and the city became
filled with rustic troops, undergoing the necessary process
of drilling ; these formed a very motley group, being of all
sizes, of all colours, and variously dressed, most of them ap-
pearing in their leathern hats, jackets, and trowsers. As
there were no symptoms that the rebels would soon make
their threatened attack on Oeiras, about 600 of these troops
were dispatched early in the month of July, under the
command of Major Clementino Martins, the Baron's
nephew, to join others, ordered to march from Ceara and
Pemambuco, to the succour of Cachias. As soon as the
rebels received notice of this movement, a general sack of
the town took place, by about a thousand men, who still
T
274 TRAVBLS IN BRAZIL.
remained there, on which occasion many of the*inhabitants
for the most part Portuguese, were miu-dered. It was not
till the month of January, 1840, that Cachias was finally
restored to order, and still later before peac6 was estab-
lished in Fastos Boms and Brejo. In passing through a
ravine near Cachias, that had been fortified by the rebels.
Major Clementino and nearly all his troops were cut off.
It was calculated that from the beginning to the end of
this insurrection, more than 5,000 men fell victims ; this
may be considered as an example of the outbreaks per-
petually occurring in Brazil, which keep it in an almost
continual state of disorder, and paralyze the energies of
those who really wish well to their country.
Prevented in this manner from travelling westward,
and unwilling to retrace my steps, I determined to pro-
ceed southward to Rio de Janeiro, through the great in-
land provinces of Goyaz and Minas Geraes, though but
ill provided for such an undertaking, particularly in pecu-
niary matters, the state of the country rendering it im-
possible to receive money from the coast. I had, how-
ever, my profession to depend upon, and I knew that if
much money could not be gained by it, a great deal of
expense might be saved, for I had already experienced,
that as a medical man, I was well received wherever I
went. The country to the south-west being also in
rather an unsettled state, I was strongly advised by the
Barao de Pamahiba, as well as by other influential per-
sons in Oeiras, not to pursue this proposed journey, as I
should run a risk of losing my life by so doing ; but my
strong desire to pass through a hitherto unexplored
OSIRA8 TO PA&NAGUA. 275
country, deteimined me not to listen to their advice, and
I immediately set about making arrangements for under-*
taking it.
The large collections which I made between Crato and
Oeiras, and in the neighbourhood of the latter place, I
had intended to send to Maranham to be shipped for
England, but this was now impossible, on account of the
great distance between Oeiras and Pemambuco or Bahia;
there is but Uttle traffic between these places, and had it
not been for a fortunate occurrence, there would have
been no resource left but to take them with me to
Bio. Prom Pemambuco I brought letters with me to
Dr. Casimiro Jose de Moraes Sarmento, a yoimg advo-
cate, who held a small government appointment in
Oeiras, his native place ; with this gentleman I formed a
very intimate friendship ; besides being well educated, I
found him possessed of a very superior intelligence, of
much moral worth, and of great goodness of heart. He
had brought with him from Pemambuco, where he studied,
a fine library of Portuguese, Prench, and English works,
of all which he generously allowed me the freest use.
The moment I was preparing to leave Oeiras, he suddenly
determined to retum to Pemambuco, and kindly con-
sented to take my collections with him, which being
packed in such a manner as only to form a single load,
I dispatched on one of my own horses.
As far as I could learn, only one Englishman had
visited this part of the country ; several of the inhabitants
still remembered Drs. Spix and Martins, and the house
in which they resided was pointed out to me by the old
Barao, who was then, however, a person of but small
t2
276 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
note in the place. During the four months I passed in
this city, I met with the greatest civility and hospitality
from all classes of society, much more, indeed, than in
any other place in the Empire in which I resided for any
period. The Barao was particularly obliging, for besides
providing a house for me, he sent my horses to one of
his Fazendas to graze, and I was a frequent guest at his
table ; he dines quite in the old baronial fashion, his table
which is very long, extending from one end to the other
of a large room. He himself sits in a chair at the head
of it, and his guests are seated on long forms placed on
each side, the lowest places being often filled by his com-
monest shepherds. Captain Antonio de Moraes, the
father of my young friend, and Captain Faria, I particu-
larize among a host of others to whom I am indebted for
innumerable services ; indeed, I shall ever look back on
my stay in Oeiras, as one of the most pleasant portions of
my pilgrimage in Brazil.
On the afternoon of the 22nd of July, we bade adieu
to the city of Oeiras, and commenced our overland jour-
ney to Rio ; a journey which, though both tedious and
painful, yielded me a far more abundant harvest of novel-
ties than I anticipated. It was my intention to have left
in the morning, but while preparing to do so, one of the
men I had engaged to go as far as the southern extremity
of the province of Piauhy, came to inform me that he had
changed his mind ; I instantly applied to the Barao for
his assistance in procuring another, and as soon as he
learned what had occurred, he sent for the man, who still
refusing to go, was sent to prison. He then kindly in-
formed me, that he would allow me the use of a soldier.
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA. 277
and having sent for one, told him that if he served me
faithfully, he would give him his discharge on his return ;
I did not much like the look of this man, his face having
one of the most cut-throat expressions I ever saw ; I had
no help but to accept his services, though in the end I
was glad to get rid of him, as he proved to be one of the
most insolent, lazy, and sulky fellows I ever had in my
service. Captain Moraes and several other of my friends
accompanied me for about a league firom the city, when,
with their hearty wishes for a safe return to my native
country, we parted. About a league further we encamped
for the night, under some large trees by the side of a
small stream.
Our route was now nearly in a southerly direction, and
lay through a beautiful country, consisting of diversified
and park-like scenery. Many large flat tracts occur, to
which the name of Chapada is given ; these are but thinly
wooded, the trees consisting of the Cashew {Anacardium
occidentale), Jatoba, {Hymenaa), Parahiba, {Simaruba ver-
sicolor), and the Folha largo, (JScdvertia convallariodora)
a beautiful tree with large leaves, and spikes of sweet-
smelling flowers, not unlike those of the horse-chesnut.
As the weather was now quite settled, we generally slept
in the open air at night, slinging our hammocks between
trees. At a short distance from Oeiras, we passed through
some of the national Fazendas, and on one of them had
an opportunity of seeing the method adopted by the va-
queiros for catching the cattle, which roam about in large
herds nearly in a wild state. In the southern provinces,
it is well known that the cattle are caught by the lasso
and bolas, the open country of those districts allowing
278 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
their free use, which is not the case in the north. The
instrument used here, is a slender pole about nine or ten
feet long, a little thicker at one end than at the other ;
into the thicker end, a quadrangular pointed piece of iron
is fixed, projecting only about half an inch ; mounted on
horse-back, with this pole in his hand, the vaqueiro selects
with his eye the animal he wishes to take, and pursiiing
it at full gallop, he soon overtakes it, and striking it on
the hip with the armed end of the pole, while it is going
at full speed, he easily upsets it, and before it can rise
again, the vaqueiro has dismounted, and secures it ; in
this manner nearly all the cattle are taken in this pro-
vince. There are no fences between the different proper-
ties, but every Fazendeiro has a brand, with which all his
horses and cattle are marked before they are allowed to
roam at liberty, and by which they are, of course, easily
recognized. The cattle of Piauhy supply for the most
part the markets of Maranham, Bahia, and Femambuco;
droves are also occasionally sent into the province of
Minas Geraes ; they are generally of a large size, and
vary very much in colour, though brown is the prevailing
one ; their horns are long, pointed, and wide-spreading.
We stopped a night at one of these national Fazendas,
which was entirely devoted to the rearing of horses, and
the principal vaqueiro informed me that it produced an-
nually about 400 foals. The horses of Piauhy are in
general small, and not long-lived, seldom exceeding ten or
twelve years ; those used on the cattle farms, owing to
the violent exercise of hunting the cattle, do not last long.
The riding horses are broken in with great care, and some
of the paces which they are taught are very pleasant ;
OEIRAS TO PARNA6UA. 279
they are never shod, and this is less necessary here than
in many of the other provinces, for the roads are generally
level and soft. The price of a good working horse, that
is, one fit for carrying a load on a journey, is seldom
more than three pounds.
We were now in the country to which the name of
Campos Agrestes is given in Piauhy. These Campos are
partly open, and partly wooded ; the open tracts are
covered with coarse perennial grasses, and are not en-
tirely destitute of trees, but all are more or less deciduous,
with the exception of one which is truely evergreen ; this
is a species of Zizyphm^ known by the name of Joazeira ;
it is not a large tree, but has wide-spreading branches
that give an excellent shade, of which we often took ad-
vantage during the heat of the day. The cattle also are
very fond of the shade of this tree, as well as of the sweet
fleshy fruit, about the size of a small cherry, which it pro-
duces in great abundance, and which when ripe, falls to
the groimd ; this fruit, called Joa, is also eaten by the
inhabitants. Many of the trees of these tracts, have a
stunted appearance, their branches being gnarled and tor-
tuous. Sometimes large swampy tracts exist in the
Campos Agrestes, and in these grow clusters of Buriti
palms, the soft fruit of which is the principal food of three
beautiful species of Maccaw which frequent them in great
numbers. These birds generally fly in pairs, and rend
the air with their loud cries of ara, ara, ara, and hence the
Indian name of Arara. One of the most common of these
is entirely blue {Psittacm KyacintUnm, Lath.); the others
are blue also, with the exception of their breasts, which
in one of them is orange, while the other has it of a crim-
280 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
son colour. Many of the level Chapadas where the scnl
is of red clayey character, are covered with numerous ant-
hills, often six or eight feet high, which have the appear-
ance of clay huts when seen at a distance ; these are
formed by the white ant, and as these insects constitute
the principal food of the Ostrich of the country {BAea
Americana), and the great ant-bear, the Tamandua of the
natives {Myrmecophaga juhatd), we saw many of them in
the neighbourhood of the ant-hills. In the more closely
wooded districts, the trees very much resemble the Ca-
tingas of the Campos Mimosos, and like them are deci-
duous in the dry season.
On the afternoon of the 29th of July, we reached a
little hamlet called Algodoes, distant thirty-four leagues
from Oeu'as, where we remained for a day. We halted
in the morning, and breakfasted at a Fazenda called
Pombas, about three leagues from Algodoes, and when we
left, a fine large mastiff dog that accompanied us, and
which had been presented to me by Captain Moraes, was
not to be found ; this appeared the more remarkable, as
he had become very much attached to us all. I thought
he might have gone into the woods after some animal,
and would soon follow us, but as he did not appear on the
following morning, I sent Mr. Walker back to make en-
quiries about him, when the vaqueiro told him he had
not been seen since we left ; I strongly suspected at the
time that this man, who was the only person on the
farm, had stolen him ; nor was I mistaken, as several days
afterwards I heard from a person who passed a night
there, that he saw the dog tied up, and was told by the
vaqueiro that he had been presented to him by an English-
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA. 281
man who was going up to Minas. At about a league
beyond Pombas we arrived at a large fresh-water lake
two leagues in length, but not more than a quarter of a
league in breadth ; it terminates at Algodoes ; and nearly
all along its whole length, it is bounded by a belt of Car-
nahuba palms ; the road led by the side of it, and we
frequently came suddenly upon some large alligators (Ja-
care) which were basking in the shallow water by the
margin. We also saw many Capibaras {HydrocharuB
Capybara)y one troop of which, consisting of upwards of
fifty individuals, crossed the path about a hundred yards
before us, and entered the water ; they crossed the lake by
swimming, and we saw them land on the opposite side.
Many parts of the lake were covered with the large floating
leaves of a water lily {Nymphaa)^ which \mfortunately
was not in flower. During the night we heard the Capi-
baras plunging in the lake quite near to the house in
which we slept ; and I was told they are seldom molested,
as their flesh is not good to eat ; they are, therefore, very
tame in this neighbourhood. Wishing to procure a speci-
men for the sake of its cranium, I went out early in the
morning with my gun, but after walking nearly half a
league along the side of the lake, not one was to be seen ;
we saw, however, plenty of aUigators, and a very large one,
which was floating like an old log on the surface of the
water, at but a little distance from the shore, was too
tempting a shot to be passed by ; I fired at his head, my
gun being loaded with large shot, when making a spring for
the deep water, it turned upon its back and floated, ap-
parently dead. Believing it to be so, I sent in Manoel, my
Indian servant, to bring it out ; he waded up to his chin in
282 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the water, and attempted to seize the animal by the tail,
when it tmned suddenly round and disappeared. I know
not which of the two was most firightened, for Manoel
gave a loud roar, and lost no time in getting to terra firma :
the animal had evidently only been stunned by the shot.
In this lake I found some curious aquatic plants, such
as a new species of Cabomba {C. PiauhyensiSy Gardn.), a
fine yellow-flowered Jussiaa (J. sedoides, Humb.), first
found by Humboldt in lakes in new Granada ; it floats
on the water, and the leaves which are small, all reach the
surface, and form round the axis of the plant a dense
circle, which at a distance appears like a large entire float-
ing leaf. Specimens of a Ckara and a Potamogeton were
also collected ; both interesting, from belonging to genera
common to South America and Great Britain.
On the 31st, we left Algodoes early in the morning,
and after a ride of about three leagues, over a dry flat
Chapada, we arrived at Golfes, a single house situated on
a hill near a small marsh, in which grows a great number
of Buriti palms ; we halted by the side of this marsh,
under a large Cashew tree. In the afternoon, another
journey of two and a half leagues, brought us to a small
uninhabited house, at a place called Retiro Alegre, situated
in a beautiful valley, skirted by high hUls, and abounding
in Buriti palms, the leaves of which afforded shelter to
vast numbers of the orange-breasted Maccaw {Caninde).
At this place I found a little black fellow, waiting my
arrival to act as guide to the next Fazenda (Grenipapo),
which was five and a half leagues distant. He was sent
by Captain Valentim Pereira da Silva, whom I met at
Algodoes, on his way to visit his son, to whom the country
OEIRAS TO PARNA6UA. 283
through which we were then passing, belonged. When
this old man knew that I was the person who had per-
fonned several cures in Oeiras, he was very desirous
that I should visit his son, who was in a bad state of
health ; and as his house was only a few leagues out of
our direct course, I consented to do so. About half a
league from the Fazenda the son himself met us. The
estate of Genipapo belongs to him, and we remained
there for the night ; but he went to another, two leagues
further on, called Canavieira, at which he himself re-
sides.
On the following morning we arrived at Canavieira in
time for breakfast, and had a very hospitable reception
from the captain and his son ; upon examination, I found
the latter labouring under the incipient symptoms of con-
sumption, and prescribed for him accordingly. It being
seldom that a medical man is seen in this part of the
country, I had many other patients to prescribe for, some
of whom came from a considerable distance. At about
a quarter of a mile beyond Genipapo, we arrived at the
banks of the Bio Gurgea, which takes its rise in the
southern extremity of the province, and falls into the
Pamahiba, a little below the parallel of Oeiras. As is
generally the case with the rivers in the northern pro-
vinces, the banks of this are more densely wooded, and
more verdant in appearance, than the rest of the country.
I remained with my hospitable friends all that day, and
received an invitation to accompany them on the following
day to a Fazenda eight leagues distant, belonging to the
son's father-:in-law, whither all the family were going, as
the Visitador was on his triennial tour, and was expected
284 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
there about this time. This place also being but little
out of our route, I accepted the invitation.
On the morning of the 3rd of August we left Cana-
vieira, and, after a ride of about three leagues, crossed the
Rio Gurgea, and entered the district of Urusuhy. The river
here was about the breadth of the Clyde at Glasgow, but
so shallow, that it did not reach much above the horse's
middle. After riding another league, we arrived at a
house belonging to a vaqueiro, where we halted to take
breakfast, and to remain during the heat of the day. The
house was situated in a hollow, and being shut out from
the breeze, the heat was quite intolerable. The thermo-
meter in the shade rose to 98°, and I suffered dreadfully
from headache. We did not leave this place till four
o'clock in the afternoon, and having still four leagues to
travel, we reached the Eazenda dos Prazeres a little after
sunset. With the exception of the banks of the river, the
whole country through which we passed, was very much
dried up for want of rain.
Our party was rather a large one. Besides ourselves,
there were the captain, his son and lady, and a mulatto
girl carrying their child, which they were taking to get
baptized, three of the captain's nephews, and a black
schoolmaster, all from top to toe in leather dresses ; and,
besides the blacks on foot who were bringing on the
loaded horses, there were three on horse-back acting as
attendants. The lady and her girl were both mounted
on men's saddles, according to the common custom of the
country in the interior. The black schoolmaster was
decidedly the most superior of his race that I ever met
with. He was a Creole, with a fine expansion of forehead.
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA. 285
and had received a good education ; he was a freeman,
and his colour did not prevent him from mixing in the
best society in the part of the country to which he be-
longed; indeed, the Brazilians are perhaps more free
from those prejudices than any other nation. He was
possessed of an immense fund of wit and humour, the con-
tinual flow of which kept the whole party in good spirits
during the journey, notwithstanding the great heat of the
day.
The Fazenda dos Prazeres stands on a rather elevated
knoll in a large valley, which, at its upper extremity, is
marshy and full of Buriti palms. On the dry sides of
the low hills which surround the valley, there are large
forests of that palm called Palmeira, already spoken of as
being conmion about Crato ; and in the Catinga forest,
which we rode through, one or two smaller kinds of palm
were common. One of these had its stem forked at the
summit, being the only instance of the kind I ever met
with; the central bud had been destroyed by some
means, and two more arms generated in its stead. The
house is large, well constructed, and by far the best we
had seen since leaving Oeiras. The owner of it, who died
suddenly about a year before, seems to have been not
only more industrious, but a person of much greater taste
than the generality of the Piauhy Fazendeiros. Around
the house, and also to a considerable distance from it,
there were many fine orange trees loaded with fruit, which
being very rare in this province, were highly prized by us.
There were also near the house, large plantations of plan-
tains and bananas, as also several fine cocoa-nut trees,
which were beginning to bear fruit. These trees were
286 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the most distant from the coast I had met with in the
country ; and indeed it is but very seldom they are seen
in cultivation inland, the tree being essentially of sea-
side growth. The -estate is principally a cattle farm, but in
the valley below the house, there was a large patch of
cane growing, from which they manufacture rapadura ;
and the soil being favourable for the cultivation of mandi-
occa, a good deal of it is also grown. The widow, who
with her sons now manages the farm, is both active and
intelligent, and very hospitable. We remained here two
days, during which time many people arrived from various
quarters in the neighbourhood, to avail themselves of the
services of the Visitador. Before we left, our provision
boxes were well filled ; and a large supply of oranges
which we took with us, lasted for many days, and formed
a grateful refreshment on our journey.
Becrossing the Bio Gurgea at a place called Mores,
about sixteen leagues above the Fazenda dos Prazeres,
and travelling for ten days in a southerly direction, more
or less parallel with that river, we arrived at a small
hamlet called Bapoza. The country we found to be very
level, and generally of an arid nature, particularly when
we were obliged to travel at some distance from the
river, for its banks are for the most part well wooded,
the trees consisting of the Jatoba Piki, several species of
LavroB^ large BignoniaSy which at this season were covered
with their bright yellow blossoms. Among these grew
manyclimbing shrubs, such BsBaukinias, CombretumSyJBiff'
noniaSy Malpiffkias, &c., whose branches, covered with their
many-coloured flowers, gaily adorned the wide-spreading
tops of the trees. Numerous large wild fig-trees also
OSIRAS TO PABNAGUA. 287
grow along the side of the Btream, which often afforded
us shelter both by day and by night. It was quite re-
freshing to travel under this shade, and we found it the
more so, as the country around produced only a few leafless
trees, and the soil, which was of a brick-red colour, had
its herbaceous vegetation quite destroyed. During this
season, the cattle frequent the margins of the river, both
on account of the water, and the grass and other herbage
which grow there ; but this year, the latter had been
nearly destroyed by the great rise of the waters during
the previous rains, which were said to have been heavier
than any that had occurred since the year 1820. We
could see by the marks on the stems of the trees, left by
the muddy water, that it had risen ten feet above the
level of the road.
At Rapoza I met with Major Jos^ Martins de Sousa,
to whom I carried letters from his uncle the Barao de
Pamahiba. His house was about thirty leagues distant,
but having been ordered to raise troops to send to the
city, he had made this place the general rendezvous.
About four years before this period, he bought a tract of
ground, in the district of Famagua, amounting to about
ninety-six square leagues, for five Contos de reis, which
he divided into six cattle farms, all of which were now in
a flourishing condition. He told me that in the district,
of which he was Prefect, there were 1,700 men capable
of bearing arms, but all he had been able to raise in the
course of a week, were twenty-two. The whole population,
he added, were worse than savages, and that no eloqu^oce
could prevail on them to rise in defence of their country.
He was even afraid that disorders, similar to those which
288 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
were disturbing the province of Maranham, would not be-
long ere they reached this district ; and he said it was
his intention as soon as possible, to take his wife and
children down to the city. This, I believe, he shortly
afterwards did, and it was well for them that he had this
foresight, as about a month after I met him, the district
of Pamagua rose to join the rebels, and the Major, who
remained behind, had a very narrow escape from falling
a victim to the fiiry of the inhabitants, and the cattle on
his estates were nearly all destroyed. During his journey
from Rapoza to the city, all his recruits deserted, with
the exception of two or three.
A journey of fourteen leagues brought us to the Villa
de Pamagua, the most southern town in the province,
the country still continuing flat, and very similar to that
through which we had already passed. The whole jour-
ney from Oeiras, presented little that was interesting in a
geological point of view, the only rocks which occurred
being of the same charactei* as those existing in the
vicinity of the city itself. The peculiar construction of
the houses on the road, so very dijfferent from those met
with in any other part of Brazil, or even in Piauhy itself,
attracted my attention : they are built for the most part
with one of their ends to the road, and in this end there
is a large apartment with a table and a form, evidently
intended for the accommodation of travellers, as it has no
direct communication with the rest of the house. The
door of the part inhabited by the family, is in the other
end, and on this account it is very seldom that any of the
females of the family are seen, they being kept strictly
secluded. Should the house stand parallel to the road,
OEIKAS TO PARNAGUA. 289
then the door to the travellers' apartment opens in front,
while the door and windows of the other apartments are
all in the back part. A stranger may thus live at one of
these houses for many days, without the slightest know-
ledge of what is going on within. The ladies are not,
however, destitute of curiosity, as I have frequently de-
tected a pair of black eyes peering through some slit in
the fragile partitions to get a peep at the strangers. Yet,
as a professional man, it was seldom I was not admitted,
being called in to prescribe for some one or other of the
females of the family ; the sedentary life which they lead
rendering them very subject to dyspeptic and such like
complaints. Ague is also very common, indeed, and
nearly all the inhabitants suffer from the effects of it.
Mr. Darwin, in his Journal, mentions that there are few
houses in Chili where a traveller will not be received for
the night, but a trifle is expected to be given in the
morning, and that even a rich man will accept two or
three shillings. In Brazil this is very different, on the
road from Rio de Janeiro to the Mining Districts, which
is now very much frequented, there are always houses to
be found which serve as apologies for inns, and in which
the traveller is expected to pay ; but should he put up at
any of the large Fazendas he is allowed to sit free at the
table, paying only for such provender as his animals may
require. In the more distant parts of the country, I
always met with the most unbounded hospitality, even
from the poorer classes, and oft:n the only recompense
which these poor beings would accept was a little gun-
powder or salt, articles which very often are not to be
procured at any price.
290 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
When I left Rapoza, Major Martins gave me a letter
to the Juiz de Paz of Paraagua, and a note to receive the
keys of an empty house in which he puts up when he
visits the Villa. On our arrival, I found that the Juiz
had gone to visit his Fazenda, at a distance of six or seven
leagues. The Vicar and the other Padre of the place
were also absent, visiting their district. An old lawyer,
the schoolmaster, and a shopkeeper were the only persons
of consequence we found in the place. The Villa, which
is situated on the east side of a large lake, contains in all
about a hundred houses, but not more than one half of
them are inhabited, as many belong to Fazendeiros who
only occupy them during the festival times. Owing to
the recruiting which was then going on throughout the
province, the greater part of the male population had left
the Villa and gone to distant places, few being indined
to join the army ; women and children only were to be
seen, with the exception of a few slaves. The houses
are generally built of a coarse wicker work, and plas-
tered, both inside and out, with a red-coloured day,
which, not being white-washed, gives the town a very
strange appearance. The best days of the place seem to
have gone by, as many of the houses are falling into
ruins ; and the church, which stands in a large square
and has once been a neat building, is also going to decay,
one half of the roof has fallen in, and it seemed to have
been in that state for some years. There is not a single
regular shopkeeper in the place, the only one that we
found there, had arrived some time before from Bahia»
and proposed to return as soon as he had sold his goods.
Having no competitor, he took advantage of this, and
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUA. 291
was selling everjrthing at a very exorbitant price. The
people, both in the Villa and in the neighbouring Fa-
zendas, complained that the revolution in Maranham
had prevented the merchants, who yearly visit theni,
from coming to Pamagua. These were in the habit
of bringing up European goods, salt, gunpowder, &c.,
which they generally exchanged for horses, cattle, and
hides.
Salt is an article for which there is a great demand,
and the people in the Villa have found out a substitute
for that which comes from the coast. Along the banks
of the lake, the soil in many places is highly impregnated
with saline matter, which, although mixed with saltpetre,
is yet very acceptable where no other can be procured ;
during our visit, many people from very distant parts
were occupied in coUectiug this salt. The manner in which
they obtain it is as follows ; the soil is cleaned of grass
and other herbaceous vegetation, and on being moistened
with water, the part richest in salt soon shows itself by
the appearance of small crystals. This earth is then
SCTaped up with the scapular bone of an ox, and put into
a trough made of a cow-hide, supported upon four short
posts fixed into the ground. Water is then poured on
the earth, which, during the space of a day, is allowed to
filter slowly through small holes in the bottom of the
trough, when it is received into a large basin placed
below it: the process is continued till the salt is all
extracted. The water thus extracted is either put into
smaller hide-troughs and evaporated in the sun, or boiled
down in an iron pot, but as these are rather scarce arti-
cles in Pamagua, few only can have recourse to this
u2
292 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
mode. The salt is not very clean, but a quantity which
I bought was found to preserve meat very well.
The lake, near which the village is situated, is about
two leagues long, and one broad, but it is said not to be
deep ; it is always of a red colour, caused no doubt by
the soil of the surrounding country, which is everywhere
of a deep red-coloured clay. It is said to abound in fish,
but during our stay I could not obtain any. Great
numbers of large Alligators exist in it, as also Boa (Con-
strictors, Capivaras, and Tapirs; I saw, besides, some
large Otters, but could not come within shot of them.
After we arrived I went to bathe in the lake, and swam
out a long way, but did not do so again, on being told
that several accidents had taken place, not only from
the attacks of Alligators, but also from Piranias.
With the exception of a small Serra to the south-east,
the country aroimd the Villa is flat, and but for the lake,
it would have a very unpicturesque appearance. I took
several walks in the neighbourhood, but in consequence
of the long-continued drought, I did not meet with much
to reward my labour. In a marsh, which in the rainy
season forms part of the lake, I found two species of
water-lily {Nymphaa)^ both small and bearing white
flowers, one of them smelling very sweetly, while the
other had exactly the foetid smell of coal-tar. On the
Serra I found a small leaved GompAia, a Triads, and a
tree lily {Vellozia) ; the latter was not in flower, as was
the case with one I found at Oeiras. These are the two
most northerly stations in which I have met with species
of this genus, whose great focus lies in the mountains of
the Diamond District.
CHAPTER IX.
PARNAGUA TO NATIVEDADE.
Leaves Pamagulk — Arrives at Saeo do Tanque — Carrapatos a great pest
to Travellers and Cattle — ^Vegetation of the Country — ^Crosses the
Serras da Batalha and de Matto Grosso, the boundary of the Province
of Piauhy-r-Descends into the district of Bio Preto — ^Account of the
Cherente Indians — ^Arrives at Santa Eosa — Crosses the Eiver Preto
— ^Reaches the desolate Region of Os Geraes — Passes over the ele-
vated table-land Chapada da Mangabeira — ^Arrives at the Indian
Mission of Duro — ^Description of these Indians — Reaches Cachoeira,
Crosses the Serra do Duro— Fords the River Manoel Alves — Arrives
at Almas — ^(jalheiro morto — Morhinos — ^Abundance of Wild Honey
— ^Description of several kinds of Bees — ^Reaches Nossa Senhora
d'Ampara — Mato Virgem — Goitre not uncommon — Passes Sociedade
— ^Airayal da Chapada — ^And arrives at Natividade.
It was with much difficulty that I procured in Pamagua
a person to replace the soldier who accompanied us from
Oeiras ; chance threw in my way a mulatto, who having
come with a large drove of cattle from the province of
Goyaz, was therefore acquainted with the tracks through
the unfrequented country into which we were now about to
enter. We left Pamagua on the 29th of September, and
continuing our journey nearly in a southerly direction,
we arrived at a little Fazenda, called Saco do Tanque, on
the 7th of October, the distance being about twenty-six
leagues. It was late in the afternoon when we left Par-
294 TBAY£LS IN BEAZIL.
nagua, and being nearly dark by the time we reached the
head of the lake, we halted there for the night under some
trees. Towards morning we felt so chilly in our ham-
mocks, that we were glad to get up and warm ourselves
at a large fire, which the men kept burning all night. As
we rode along the side of the lake, we saw several Ca-
pivaras and AUigators, which upon our coming near them
made for the water.
Shortly after leaving Oeiras, we began to be much tor-
mented by a species of tick, to which the Brazilians give
the name of Carrapato. These insects abound in dry
bushy places, where they attach themselves to the slender
twigs ; at first they are very small (Carrapatos miudos),
and may be seen in clusters consisting of many hundreds ;
these as soon as any animal passes by and touches them,
instantly adhere to it, burying their suckers so deeply into
its skin, that it is only by using considerable force they
can be withdrawn. If not taken off they go on increasing
in bulk till they become as large, and even larger, than a
common horse-bean ; they even increase in size on the
grass and bushes, but then have a lean flat appearance ;
it is to this form that the name Carrapato grande is
given. Spix and Martins believe the large and small
kinds to be distinct species, but I think there can be no
doubt that they are the same insects in different stages ;
St. Hilaire is of this opinion, and so are the inhabitants
themselves. It is only in the beginning of the dry season
that the small Carrapato is to be found in those districts
which are infested by them, but as the season advances,
they gradually disappear, to be replaced by the larger ones.
They attach themselves indiscriminately to all kinds of
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADB. 295
quadrupeds, but the horse and the ox suffer most from
their attacks, and in very dry seasons they exist in such
numbers, that whole herds of cattle perish from the ex-
haustion which they produce. If, however, the animal on
which they live, can hold out till the rains set in, it soon
regains its strength, as wet is very fatal to the Carrapato ;
I have frequently seen some of my horses that were in-
fested by these creatures, get nearly free from them after
swimming across a broad river. Some horses I found
were much more subject to them than others. We found
the dry bushy country above Pamagua swarming with
these pests, and almost every night, we had to pick hun-
dreds of them off our bodies before we could turn into
our hammocks. The men suffered more than either Mr.
Walker or myself, as they were on foot, and their legs
were bare from the knees downwards. When I walked
out to botanize in the neighbourhood of the places where
we encamped, I used generally to get completely covered
with them, and had to change my dress, but by laying
the infested articles in the bright sun-shine for a quarter
of an hour they became fit to put on again ; 3 favourite
little ring-tailed monkey, which I obtained from an old
Indian some days after we left Oeiras, also used to suffer
very much from these insects. When full grown, a large
Carrapato very much resembles the ripe seed of the
Castor oil tree. In dragging off very large ones, the
wound which is left often becomes a very bad sore. The
Carrapato belongs to the genus Ixodes, of LatreiUe.
Although the country between Pamagua and Saco do
Tanque is comparatively level, yet there is a very percep-
table rise ; and although the general vegetation has very
296 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
much the same character as that of other Catinga districts,
many of the shrubs and trees were quite new to me. At
this, season very few were in flower; of these the most
remarkable, was a very large tree to which the name of
Sicupira is given by the inhabitants, and which I after-
wards found extending far into the province of Goyaz ;
it belongs to the natural order LeguminoscBy and has
only very recently been described by Mr. Bentham, under
the name of Commilohium polygalcBflorum : it is easily
recognized at a great distance by its numerous large
panicles of lilac flowers. An essential oil which is con-
tained in the fruit, is much used by the inhabitants to
alleviate the pain of the tooth-ache. A very large silk
cotton tree {Bombax), entirely destitute of leaves, was also
common, but on one of them I found a few blossoms,
which were of enormous size, measuring when fully ex-
panded about a foot and a half across ; the petals were
of a dark brown colour without, but white within. Near
a Fazenda called Riacho d'Area, where we stopped a day,
grow a number of large palm trees, on the stems of which
I found a large fleshy-stemmed Orchideous plant, a
species of Cyrtopodiuniy which produced flowering stems
about four feet high, terminating in a large panicle of
flowers, with brown blotches on an orange ground, and
smelling sweetly like wall-flower.
In marshy bushy places on this journey I saw many
plants of the Vanilla plamfolia^ seldom bearing flowers,
and more rarely producing fruit. It has now been satis-
factorily determined, that this is the species from which
the true Vanilla of commerce is procured. In Mexico it
is extensively cultivated for the sake of its fruit, which it
PARNA6UA TO NATIVIDADE. 297
Arields ahundantly ; while the plants which have been intro-
duced into the East Indies, and the hothouses of Europe,
though they have frequently produced flowers, have very
seldom perf(M5ted their fruit. Dr. Morren of Liege was
the first to study attentively the natural history of this
plant, and to prove experimentally that the fruit of the
VaniQa may be as freely produced in our hothouses as it
is in Mexico. He has discovered that from some peculi-
arities in the reproductive organs of this plant, artificial
fecundation is required. In the year 1836, a plant in
one of the hothouses in the botanic garden at Liege pro-
duced fifty-four flowers, which having been artificially
fecundated, exhibited the same number of pods, quite
equal to those imported from Mexico; and in 1837, a
fresh crop of about a hundred pods was obtained upon
another plant by the same method. He attributes the
fecundation of the plant in Mexico, to the action of some
insect which frequents the flower ; and hence accounts for
the non-production of fruit in those plants, which have
been removed to other countries. There can be no doubt
that this plant is as perfectly indigenous to Brazil, as it is
to Mexico ; but it is no less certain that its fruit is there
seldom matured. Is this also to be attributed to the ab-
sence of the means by which nature is supposed to effect
fecundation in Mexico? This is a subject, which, as
Professor Morren justly observes, weD deserves attention
in a commercial point of view, since his experiments go
to prove, that in all intertropical countries, vaniQa might
be cultivated, and a great abundance of fruit obtained*.
* See Professor Morren's paper " On the production qf VamUa in
Europe,'' in Taylor's Annals of Natural History, vol. iii. p. 1.
298 TBAYBLS IN BRAZIL.
The country in which we were travelling, is much in-
fested by the On^a of the inhabitants, the Iblis onfa of
linnsBus, which is also known by the name of Jaguar. In
our encampments, we used to hear them night after night
roaring at some distance, but they never came near
enough to be seen. The night we remained at Biacho
d' Area, we were prevented from sleeping during the early
part of it, by the loud roaring of one of these animals,
which was so distinct and audible that it appeared to be
within a short distance ; but the Eazendeiro, who waff more
accustomed to the sound, assured me it was at least half
a league distant, and from its noise he supposed it to be
a very large male ; its roar was more like the growl of an
angry dog, which generally continued for a quarter of an
hour at a time, when it terminated by a sound, two or
three times repeated, not unlike the smothered bark of
a large mastiff. The dogs belonging to the Fazenda
were on the alert and barking, but none of them offered
to leave the house. My horses which were feeding at a
little distance, came closer to us, when they heard the
almost unearthly sounds produced by the fierce inhabi-
tant of the forests ; even those I had brought from the
coast and which I am certain had never been exposed to
the attacks of these animals, followed the example of the
others.
The Fazenda de Saco do Tanque is situated immedi-
ately on the boundary line between the province of Piauhy,
and the south west portion of that of Pemambuco, which
is known by the name of the District of the Bio Preto.
Shortly after entering this district, we reached an elevated
table-land, called the Serra da Batalha, which it was
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 299
necessary to cross ; it is about the height of the Serra de
Araripe at Crato, and like it, is covered with an ever-ver-
dant vegetation. The ascent is a very rugged one, con-
sisting of large blocks of coarse white sand-stone, of
which the Serra appeared to be composed. At the foot
of this Serra, and on the ascent itself I made one of the
finest collections of plants I had yet met with since leaving
Oeiras. In moist sandy places at its foot grow some of
these beautiful large-flowered small-leaved Melaatomctcea^
which are so abundant in the Gold and Diamond dis-
tricts ; while on the more elevated sandy tracts I found
inunense quantities of a kind of nutmeg {Myristicd), which
does not grow more than three feet high. The trees on
the Chapada itself, consisted chiefly of the Cashew, Piki,
Jatoba, Mangaba, Sicupira, Gomphia hewasperma^ and
an arboreous Siffnonia; but intermingled with these,
there were many beautiful trees and shrubs, which I
had not before met with. After crossing the Chapada
which is three leagues in breadth, the descent is very gra-
dual and ultimately merges into a marshy plain abounding
in Buriti pahns. The whole country here bore a very dif-
ferent aspect from that we had left behind us, the vegeta-
tation being fresh and verdant, which was a great relief
to the eye, after having been so long accustomed to leafless
trees, and a bare soil of red clay. The woods were all
evergreen, and between the clusters of the noble Buriti
pdms and the wooded parts of the country, there were
large open marshy Campos covered with grass, and other
herbaceous vegetation common to marshy tracts.
We were now in a country much infested by the incur-
sions of wild Indians, and many of the more sohtary habi-
300 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tations had, some time before our arrival, been abandoned
by their possessors on that account. After riding about
half a mile along the side of the first open tract we came
to, we reached one of these deserted dwellings, and a little
beyond it, we put up in another also uninhabited. At Saco
do Tanque, we were informed that these houses had been
abandoned in consequence of an attack which the Indians
had made on another, a few months before, a league or two
to the westward, when all the inhabitants were put to
death. As I had many of my recent collections to put in
order, and as this appeared a favourable spot for bota-
nizing, I remained here a day. There was also good
pasture for the horses, and they, as well as ourselves, had
need of rest. I was not disappointed in the few short
rambles which I took in the neighbourhood, as I met with
several remarkable plants, quite different from any I had
before seen ; among these were an Eryngiumy a Jussuea,
which formed a small tree about twenty feet high, a tree-
fern, the only one I had seen since I left Crato, and a few
curious Eriocaidons from the marshes. In the deserted
house in which we took up our quarters, we were dreadfully
annoyed both by mosquitos and chigoes {Bich de Pe),
Leaving Batalha, the name of the place at which we
were encamped, a journey of three long leagues brought
us to the Fazenda of Santa Rosa. We had not gone far
when we had to ascend another Serra, but lower than
that of Batalha, the top of which forms a Chapada about
a league broad. Having crossed this, a very slight
ascent brought us to the top of a third elevated plane,
called the Serra do Mato Grosso, from the dense forest
with which it is covered. These three Serras may more
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 801
correctly be considered as one great one, than as distinct
ranges, since we found the descent from the last about
equal in height to the ascent of the first, and both much
greater than the intermediate ones ; the south side also,
like the north, was covered with large blocks of sand-
stone. We now entered the valley of Santa Rosa, which
tends southward for about a league and a half; in the
middle of this runs a small stream of the most limpid
water I have ever seen, and on each side of it, grows a
strip of tall and beautiful Buriti pahns, affording food
and shelter to vast numbers of the three kinds of Maccaw
ahready described. Near the top of the valley there is a
large lake, and another about the middle of it, fed by the
small stream, partly surrounded by the Buriti, and partly
by a much smaller palm which very much resembles it,
but its stem is thickly covered by long sharp spines ; this,
which I afterwards found to be very common in the
marshy Campos of the province of Goyaz, is called Buri-
tizana. This beautiful valley is about a league broad at
its widest part, where the Fazenda of the same name is
situated, and is boimded oh the north-west side by the
Serra do Livramento, about equal in height with the
Serra do Mato Grosso, which bounds it on the north-east
side.
Shortly before we reached the descent of the Serra,
the great variety of new plants which I found growing
there, caused me to linger far behind the troop, but as
this was very firequently the case, the men took no notice
of it. I did not often keep one of them with me, as my
eye, from long practice, had become well acquainted with
the track of the troop, fix>m the appearance of the horses'
302 TRATELS IN BRAZIL.
and the men's foot-marks ; and here, moreover, the road
had been so long free from travellers, that there seemed
no chance of any mistake occurring. In this, however,
I was deceived, for although I traced them to the lower
part of the upper lake, where the ground was very soft,
and much trodden by the cattle and horses that came
there to drink ; beyond this muddy tract, which was of
considerable size, I could not trace the foot-marks of my
troop, although I spent a long time in tiying to do so.
It is well understood among travellers in these desert
parts of Brazil, that, if one of the party should by any
chance remain behind, and be unable to find the track of
his companions, he is to remain in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of the spot where he first lost it, so that he
may the more readily be found by those who return to
look for him. Acting upon this, and feehng certain that
before night some one of my party woidd be sent in
search of me, I returned to the foot of the Serra, and
under some shady trees by the road-side dismounted, and
tying the fore-legs of my horse with the bridle, so that he
might feed, and not stray, I sat down under one of the
trees to study attentively the plants which I had collected
during my morning's ride. My only fear was lest any
of the wandering tribes of Indians, who were known to
be in the neighbouring woods, should happen to come
across me, for in consequence of the persecution they
have received from the Brazilians, they consider every
white man they encounter lawful game to shoot at and
destroy. It was not till late in the afternoon that Mr.
Walker, finding I did not make my appearance, sent one
of the men to look for me ; and when we returned to the
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 308
place where I had been unable to follow the track, I
found they had passed over to the other side of the lake
by a very narrow path, which was completely covered over
with long grass.
Finding the proprietor of the Fazenda of Santa Rosa,
Senhor Antonio Joze de Guimeraens, very civil and
obliging, I determined to remain there for some days, to
make the necessary arrrangements for entering upon a
journey of upwards of forty leagues through an entirely
uninhabited country. My coD^tions made between
Famagua and Santa Rosa, were to be arranged and packed
up, and it was with considerable difficulty that I could
find an additional horse to purchase. Our host had not
one to part with, that would answer my purpose, but he
kindly accompamed Mr. Walker to a Fazenda, about five
leagues distant, and assisted him in procuring one. Our
provision boxes also required to be replenished, and for
this purpose an ox was purchased, and its flesh prepared
by drying in the sun. No farinha was to be had at
Santa Rosa, but our host went himself to another Fazenda
about four leagues to the eastward, and bought me a load
We could not, however, purchase the hide boxes which
were necessary for carrying my collections ; these we were
obliged to make ourselves, under the superintendence of
Mr. Walker, who was very expert in all that related to the
equipment of the troop. During the twelve days that we
found it necessary to remain at this place, I lost no op-
portunity of adding to my collections, by excursions in the
neighbourhood, but particularly to the Serras which form
the boundaries of the valley. One of the finest trees I ever
remember to have seen standing alone, grew by the side
304 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of a small brook, which flowed at a little distance from the
house ; it was a species of Qualea, with a cleao straight
stem about one hundred feet in height, on which it sup-
ported a wide-spreading top of branches ; as it came into
flower shortly after our arrival, and as there was no way
of obtaining specimens than by cutting the tree down,
Senhor Guimeraens himself proposed to do so, as soon as
he knew I wished to possess a few specimens. After about
two hours labour on the part of himself and two of my
men, this fine tree, which I was sorry to see destroyed,
come to the ground with a tremendous crash.
It was on the morning of the 21st of September, that
we left Santa Rosa, and a journey of nearly three leagues,
brought us to the north baflk of the Rio Preto, a stream
which gives origin to the name of the district, and which
takes its rise on the eastern side of the Serra do Duro,
and falls into the Rio de San Francisco a httle above YiUa
da Barra. Following the course of this river downwards
for about a quarter of a mile, we arrived at the feny
which leads to the Fazenda of Santa Maria, which stands
on the opposite side. At this place the river is about
thirty yards broad, is very deep, and the current is
very rapid; at a distance, the water appeal's black as
ink, and from this circumstance it takes its name, but
when close to it the water is so clear, that the bottom
can be seen at a great depth ; we could 'also see that it
was inhabited by numbers of fine fish. Our luggage was
taken over by an old Indian in a canoe, which was so
small, that only one horse-load could be transported at a
time. We took up our mid-day quarters under the wide-
spreading branches of a large Cashew tree, but the shade
PARK AQUA TO NATIVIDADE. 305
which this kind of tree yields, does not shelter well from
the rays of the sun, as it is never very thickly covered
with leaves. We all bathed in the waters of the beautiful
stream, and rejoiced that for several days to come, we
should still have this enjoyment, as our route to the west-
ward lay along its margin. There is nothing so refreshing
to the traveller in a tropical climate, as frequent ablution
in cold water. We were not far from the house on which
the outrage I have before mentioned, was committed by
the Indians ; the attack was made during the day, while
the men were absent in the fields, and after burning the
house, and killing three women, they carried off two
children. The people at Santa Maria informed me, they
lived in constant dread of the Indians, and that they had
serious intentions of removing to a more populous district.
These Indians live generally at a considerable distance to
the north-west, only extending their excursions into this
neighbourhood, when in pursuit of game, and are known
by the name of Cherentes. It is supposed this attack
originated in consequence of one of the Indians having
been fired at, and wounded by mistake, who in revenge,
had with the assistance of some of his countrymen, com-
mitted the outrage above mentioned.
The desolate tract of country, upwards of forty leagues
in breadth, which we were now about to cross, in order
to reach the province of Goyaz, is called by the people
of the country, Os Geraes. It is seldom traversed except
by drovers, who take cattle from the north of Goyaz to
Bahia. There is however a path through it, and the
mulatto I engaged at Parnagua, having once traversed it,
was to act as our guide. From him I learned that there
x
806 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
was only one habitation to be met with, a small hut, occa-
sionally occupied by an old man> half Indian, half Portu-
guese ; but this was of no importance to me, as I had laid in
a sufficient stock of provisions for our journey. The stories
he told of the Indians, alarmed my party very much ; and I
was in consequence obliged to get all my arms put in
order, so as to make as formidable an appearance as
possible. I carried a small brace of pocket pistols besides
those in my holsters, and had a large sword-knife in my
belt. Mr. Walker, besides the usual dagger-knife of the
Brazilians, carried a small sword ; and the men were each
armed with a gun ; happily we had no occasion to make
use of our weapons. The country people have all a great
dread of this wild and uninhabited tract, and before
entering it, I was often asked if I was not a&aid to do so
with so few attendants. Their own fear is I believe
greatly owing to their cowardice, a very common feeling in
all parts of the country I have visited. My mind was too
much occupied with the anticipations of the rich harvest
of novelties I expected to meet with, to think much of
these dangers ; the whole country I had gone over since
I had left the coast at Aracaty was virgin ground to the
naturalist, with the exception of Oeiras, which was passed
through by Spix and Martins on their journey from Bahia
to Maranham.
We entered the Geraes on the afternoon of the same
day we arrived at Santa Maria, but the first part of our
journey was far from auspicious. Our route was west-
ward along the banks of the Rio Preto, which was lined
with Buriti and Buritizana palms, and numerous flower-
ing shrubs. After we had gone about two leagues, the
PARNAGTJA TO NATIVIDADE. 807
sky to the westward became very black, and shortly after*
wards distant thnnder was heard. We, halted by the
side of the river under some large trees, but before we
could get a shelter arranged the storm reached us. The
lightning was very vivid, the thunder loudj and the rain
came pouring down in torrents ; by fixing up two large
hides to the branches above us, they afforded a tolerable
shelter. As soon as the storm passed over we enlarged
our house, so as to have a place of refuge in case it should
return, and it was well we did so, for having slung our
hammocks as usual between the trees, we were aroused
about midnight by a loud peal of thunder which broke
right over our heads, and as the rain fell heavily we were
obUged to take refuge in our house of hides. I thought
there was something more awfiil in this storm than in
any I had ever experienced, but this feeling was perhaps
augmented by the solitude in which we found ourselves.
It may be asked why I did not take a tent with me? I
might have done so, but in travelling, I made it a rule to
conform to the habits of the country, and in the north of
Brazil no one ever thinks of carrying a tent. Long jour-
neys are always avoided in the rainy season, and as the
dry season generally lasts more than seven months, that
period is selected always for this purpose. These thunder
storms are invariably the precursors to the setting in of the
heavy continual rains, but we hoped before that time, to
reach some town in the north of the province of Goyaz,
where we might halt till the proper season for travelling
would again come round.
On the second day we made a journey of about six
leagues ; sometimes our route led through dense forests
2x
308 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
by the side of the river, at other times through open grassy
meadows in which grew clusters of the Buriti pahns,
and at intervals over slightly elevated flat tracts, covered
with low bushes, and abundance of a large grotesque
looking tree Lily {Fellozid) on which I vainly looked for
flowers, as they are only produced in the dry season.
We halted during the middle of the day, but only for a
short time, at a rude hut of palm leaves, which had been
erected by some previous travellers, by the wooded margin
of a beautiful grassy meadow about a quarter of a mile
square. Late in the afternoon the sky to the westward
began to assume a lowering aspect, and shortly presented
all the appearance of an approaching thunder storm. We
pushed on as quickly as the nature of the road would allow,
as our guide assured us that we were not far distant
from the habitation of an old Indian. The lightning soon
commenced, and the rolling of thunder was heard in the
distance ; gradually it came nearer to us, and the western
sky from the horizon to the zenith was from time to time
filled with one sheet of blueish flame, which while it lasted,
rendered the close of the twilight almost as bright as day.
Thanks to our good fortune, the storm did not then
reach us, having been diverted to the northward ; passing
over a high Serra which lay in that direction, it again
altered its course, and followed fast upon our heels. It
was quite dark when we arrived at the sohtary dwelling,
and when I rode to the little gate in ironi of it, the owner
came out with a gun in his hand. He immediately
granted us permission to take shelter for the night in an
open shed, and as soon as the luggage had been arranged
in it, and a few large skins had been hung up on the
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 309
weather side, the storm broke over the hut in all its fury,
accompanied by a gale of wind which quickly extinguished
our lights, and we had reason to be thankful that the
whole building was not carried away before it : uncom-
fortable as the place was, we rejoiced in having even
such shelter as it afforded.
The old man informed me that he lived in constant
fear of an attack from the Cherentes. He had been in
this soUtary place, for three years, but had now made
up his mind to leave it in the course of a few months. His
wife had been dead about iet year, and he and three httle
children were the only inhabitants of jthe place. He had
two houses, the best of which was at one end of the shed
in which we were stowed, but he had never Kved in it ;
the reason he assigned was, that the Indians when they
attack a house, immediately set fire to it, and surround it,
so that no one may escape. The hut in which he resided
was at some distance from the other, and in appearance
was but little better than a pig-sty, but he said that in
case of an attack, he could very easily make his escape
from it to the woods. He had a small piece of groimd
cleared by the side of the river, in which grew some man-
diocca, Indian com, cotton, and bananas. He possessed no
cattle of his own, but I was afterwards informed that he
was very expert in stealing oxen, from the droves which
occasionally pass on their way to the coast.
Three days after we left this habitation, we arrived at
a place where the Bio Preto divides the Province of Per-
nambuco from that of Goyaz. The country we passed
through, was very similar to the first part of the Geraes,
with the exception of the last four leagues of our journey
310 TRATSLS IN BRAZIL.
which lay through as undnlatmg elevated region destitute
of arboreous vegetation ; the soil was of a white sandy
nature, thinly covered with dwarf shrubs, and small dry
tufts of grass : it was only here and there that a small
stunted tree made its appearance among the bushes : as
we approached the river, however, the country became
more flat and better wooded. Notwithstanding the arid
nature of this tract, its scanty vegetation was, with few
exceptions, quite new to me. The moister sandy places
afforded me several of those curious EriocauhnSy of which
so many exist in my collections, one of these, which I
found shortly before we reached the river, was a laj^
branched species about five feet in height ; these remark-
able forms I afterwards met with in great abundance
in the Diamond District, which is the great centre of
the Miocaulons, as it is of the VeUoztaSy or tree-lily
tribe. The river, we here found to be about forty feet
broad, and not less than from sixteen to twenty feet in
depth; the current was still rapid, and the water so
limpid, that the bottom could be seen quite distmctly.
Several large Buriti pahns grow on its banks, and the
bridge by which we crossed, was one of these trees cut
down, so as to fall across the stream. It was not with*
out considerable trouble, that we got all our luggage taken
to the other side, which when accomplished, the horses
were swum over a little fiirther up the rivOT. At about
two hundred yards from its banks we encamped under a
large Myrtle tree CMyrcia), where we remained a day, for
I found it to be an excellent place for my researches. In
a marsh by the side of the river, I collected specimens
of an leoetea, which does not appear to differ from the
PARNAOUA TO NATIVIDADE. 811
one which grows in Great Britain, (Jsoetea lacustris^ linn.).
The sight of this plant recalled pleasing recollections of
long past times, and I could not refrain from indulging in a
lengthened train of reflections, which ended by comparing
it with myself — ^a stranger in a strange land, and asso*
ciated with stiU stranger companions.
Our next journey, which was one of four long leagues,
through an arid, undulating, sandy, thinly-wooded
country, brought us to the foot of the Chapada da Man-
gabeira, an elevated level table-land nearly forty miles
broad. On this journey we wero dreadfully scorched by
a burning sun ; not a breath of wind was to be felt, and
we all suffered very much from thirst, as not a drop of
water was to be met with, and the men had neglected to
fill the large leathern bag (Boracho) beforo we started.
Shortly after leaving Oeiras, I was obliged to provide
myself with one of these necessary articles ; it held about
two gallons, and when full, was carried between the two
side loads of one of the horses. We encamped beneath a
large Piki tree, not far from a spring of cool clear water
which emptied itself into a large morass. As this is the
last watering-place to be met with till the Chapada is
crossed, the usual way of proceeding is to leave it about
mid-day, and push on without stopping till half of the
distance has been performed ; and by leaving again early
on the following morning, the next watering-place may
be gained in the forenoon.
On the day succeeding that on which we arrived at the
foot of the Chapada, we started to cross it about one
o'clock in the afternoon. The horses were previously
allowed to drink freely, and I took care that the leathern
312 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
bag was not neglected this time. After travelling about
balf a league, we entered by a gradual ascent upon the
Chapada, and at the same time were overtaken by a
thunder storm, which, however, passed over without wet-
ting us much. After a journey of five leagues, we arrived
at a place where there are a few small trees, and under
them we halted for the night. For the first league and a
half, the Chapada was thinly wooded with small trees,
which become gradually smaller and thinner, till at last
not one was to be seen ; only a few stunted shrubs from
a foot, to a foot and a half high, exist on this barren spot ;
and the only living thing we saw, was a kind of locust,
about two inches long, which rose in clouds before the
horses. Many skeletons of horses and oxen lay on both
sides of the path, no doubt the remains of animals which
on crossing this desert tract, had become exhausted, and
died from want of water. After the thunder storm passed
over, the sky became clear and unclouded, and the simset
was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, its splen-
dour, and the ocean-like plain over which we were tra-
velling, reminded me of those I have so often seen at sea,
between the tropics. The atmosphere, too, was delight-
fully cool, and heavily laden with the rich perftune of one
of the small shrubs then in flower, which grew in the
greatest profusion ; tlus shrub, which I afterwards found
to be the Spiranthera odoratimma of St. Hilaire, grows
in small clusters, and bears large corymbs of pure white
flowers larger than those of the honeysuckle, but not
unlike them in shape, although their odour more resem-
bles that of the Jasmine. Shortly after we reached our
resting-place, the sky again became clouded towards the
PARNAGITA TO NATIVIDADE. 313
west, and there was much lightning, which made us fear
another storm. As usual we slung our hammocks be-
tween the trees, and contrary to our expectations, passed
the night without rain.
We resumed our journey again as early as possible
after day-break, and having accomplished five leagues
more, the greater part of which was along one of the
worst roads we had yet encountered, we halted under
some large trees close to a marsh, on the south-west side
of the Chapada. At about half a league from where we
slept, the descent of the Chapada begins,and from thence
a fine view of a large plain below is obtained, which is
almost entirely surrounded by a chain of low hills, several
of which to the south are of a conical form ; the descent is
very rocky, and on both sides of the road, stand a great
many isolated columnar and wall-like portions, which give
the traveller the idea, that he is passing through the ruins
of a large city, destroyed by some great catastrophe.
The rock is a conglomerate, and as many of the rounded
stones of which it is composed, are of considerable size,
this resemblance becomes the more striking. This side
of the Chapada is entirely composed of a coarse sand-
stone, which in some places is much softer than in others,
and the ruin-like portions have, no doubt, been formed
by the disintegration of those of a softer texture. On the
descent, we had often to dismount and lead our horses ;
one of the pack-horses fell, and rolled over several times
before he could regain a footing. As soon as we reached
the marsh, the horses rushed into the water to quench their
thirst, before they could be unloaded, and although it
was still early in the day when we arrived, I determined
814 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
to remain here till the following morning, so that they
might rest. The evening was again cloudy, with thunder
and lightning in the distance, which induced us to con-
struct our hut of skins, that we might be sheltered in
case of rain ; but none, however, fell.
Early on the following morning, we started with the
intention of going direct to Duro, an Indian mission,
about four leagues distant, but when we were within
about a league of it, we entered upon a wrong road, and
had gone nearly two leagues, before the man who acted
as our guide, discovered his mistake ; it being then about
the middle of the day, we halted to take breakfast under
the shade of a large Fochysia, which overhung a spring
of limpid water ; but we had no sooner taken possession
of this spot, than our right to it was called in question by
some thousands of a small bee, not so large as a common
house-fly ; they came buzzing about in all directions, from
the hollow stem of the large tree, in which they had their
habitation ; they had no sting, but they annoyed us very
much, by flying about the face, and getting entangled in
the hair. After kindling a large fire, they soon became
less troublesome ; the only one of our party who seemed
to be much alarmed at them, was my little monkey, who
when they came swarming about his head, covered it with
his hands, and screaming fearfully, leaped upon me, and
hid himself under my jacket.
The country over which we passed before reaching this
place, is of an undulating character, consisting generally
of large open campos, the soil of which is principally a
white sand, and being but scantily covered with herbaceous
vegetation, the glare caused by the bright sun-shine was
PABKAGUA TO KATIYIDADE. 316
veiy fiatiguing to the eyes. On these campos^ as well as
on the Ghapada da Mangabeira, a dwarf cashew is very
abundant, growing gregariously, and not more than a
foot high ; I found it both in flower and in fruit, but the
latter is not much larger than a gooseberry. It seems to
be distinct from the arboreous species, and is called by
the Brazilians Gaju rasteiro. Although the hiUy parts of
the country are dry, and have an arid look, the little hol-
lows or vallies which intersect them, have always a small
stream of clear and cool water flowing through them, and
are generally pretty well wooded. About half a nule
from the Aldea of Duro, we overtook an Indian who was
returning from the woods, and who conducted us to the
house of one of their two captains, of whom we made
enquiries about a house to put up in, but he knew of
none. After some time, we were permitted to occupy one
not yet finished, being open all round, but well roofed ;
by means of some hides, we, however, contrived to render
it somewhat comfortable. As I found it necessary to
remain here for several days, I was well pleased to have
the use even of this habitation, as it was not safe to trust
ourselves in the open air, now that the rains were setting in.
The mission of Duro is situated on the Serra of the
same name, upon a low flat hill, round the western base
of which, flows a small stream, called the Riacho de Sucu-
riu, which at all seasons, supplies the inhabitants with
abundance of excellent water. The Aldea itself contains
about twenty houses, all of which are of the most misera-
ble description; the greater part of them are entirely
made of a frame-work of poles covered over with palm-
leaves, and many of them are so much decayed from the
316 TRAVBLS IN BRAZIL.
united effects of time and weather, that they no longer
form a barrier against either wind or rain ; others, which
are built of wickerwork and clay, are scarcely in a better
condition. They are so arranged as to form an irregular
square, but two of the sides still remain nearly open ;
on the west side, there is a small church almost in ruins,
with a beautiful large Genipapo tree in front. The mission
contains in all twelve square leagues of country, being
the grant made to it at its original formation by the
Jesuits, and over this space, there are scattered twenty or
thirty other houses. The entire population, at the time
of my visit, amounted to about 250 souls ; although the
greater part of them are of pure Indian breed, some of
them have mixed with the blacks, who from time to time,
have taken up their residence ainong them, many bf these
have been run-away slaves. It is very easy, however, to
recognize the pure Indian, by his reddish colour, long
straight hair, high cheek bones, and the peculiar obliquity
of his eyes. Notwithstanding that the present race has
been brought up in a comparative state of civilization, they
still retain many of the characteristics of the savage state.
A few of the more respectable of them dress in the same
manner as the Brazilians of the Sertao, viz, in a short
pair of cotton drawers, with a shirt of the same stuff
hanging loose over them ; others make use of the drawers
only, which are generally far from being clean, and are
made of a very coarse kind of stuff wrought by the women.
The dress of the latter, is also very simple ; a few wear a
chemise, and petticoat made of printed calico, but by far
the greater number have only a petticoat of the same
coarse material that the men wear, tied round their middle.
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 817
all above which is bare The girls run about quite naked
till they are nine or ten years of age, and the boys till
they are from twelve to fourteen. Some of the young
girls have very pleasing countenances, which, however they
do not long retain, judging from the looks of the older
women.
Although both the soil and climate of the mission are
well adapted for the cultivation of the various productions
of the tropics, the inhabitants are so indolent, that they
are generally in a state of starvation ; I could procinre
neither farinha de mandiocca, rice, yams, sweet potatoes,
plantains nor bananas, and when we arrived, our stock
of beef being quite exhausted, it was with the greatest
difficulty I succeeded in pmrchasing a cow. All the cattle
which exist in the mission, amount only to about forty, and
these belong to two individuals. They possess altogether
only seventeen horses. The principal part of the food of
these people is of a vegetable natiure, consisting of wild
fruits which they obtain from the woods, such as the nuts
of difiPerent kinds of palms, the fruit of the Piki, Pusa,
Mangaba, Jatoba, Pitomba, Guava, Araga, &c. At the
season we were among them, the principal fruit they
made use of, was a kind of palm nut, about an inch and
a half long, which they called Shodo. They first cut the
oily fleshy substance, which corresponds with the fibrous
portion of the Cocoa-nut, and a large stone which is
generally placed at the door, is used for breaking the nut
upon, iQ order to prociure the substance within. Num-
bers of these Indians used to start early in the morning,
being roused by a kind of drum, and go to the woods to
Ihe westward to collect these nuts, and during the day,
818 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
nothing was to be beard in the Aldea, but the breaking ci
them between the two stones. The little animal food thej
do eat, is procured by hunting, and this is an occupation
which the young men are much fonder of, than working
in a plantation. A few days after we arrived, thirteen or
fourteen of them set off on a hunting excursion to the
other side of the Chapada da Mangabeira, and after an
absence of eight days, they returned well loaded with the
flesh of deer, and of the large kind of Peccary (Queixado),
in a half roasted state, this being the plan they make use
of, for preserving it for a few days, having no salt for
curing it. On their return to the Aldea, this spoil was
divided among their friends; it was all immediately
devoured without salt or any kind of vegetable, except a
few small capsiciuns. On the following day, scarcely an
Indian was to be seen stirring abroad ; like the Boa Con-
strictor, they were sleeping away the effects of their over^
dose of food. When our cow was killed, I was fearful we
should not be allowed to keep any of it to ourselves ; for
one came begging the head, another the feet, a third the
liver, and so on, with all the internal parts ; and when
these were exhausted, they even began to ask for pieces
of the beef itself.
Till within the last ten years, they had a resident priest
among them, but since that period, they have been without
any ; once a year, they have a few days visit from one re-
siding in the Villa de Natividade thirty leagues distant,
where their marriages are celebrated, and their children
baptized. There is no school in the Aldea, and the only
persons who can read and write, are the two captains,
one of whom is a man about forty years of age; the
PAENAOUA TO NATIVIDADE. 319
other, who is called Luiz FranciBCO Pisto, was then in
his seventy-fourth year, and fix)m him I obtained nearly
all my information regarding the mission. His wife, who
was nearly as old as himself, was confined to bed from
dropsy ; I visited her frequently during our stay, pre-
scribing such medicines as I thought would be of service
to her ; but what she most enjoyed, was a small basin of
tea, which I sent her morning and evening. Part of the
wall of the apartment in which she was lying, had feJlen
in, but an attempt had been made to keep out the wind
and rain, by placing a few palm leaves in the aperture.
All the inhabitants speak Portuguese, but many of them
still keep up the language of their forefathers.
By the old captain I was informed that the mission
was estabhshed in the year 1730, by a Lieut. Colonel
Wencislao Gomez, who came up with troops from Per-
nambuco, and conquered the Coroa nation of Indians,
being that from which the present race is deseeded ; at
that time they formed three Aldeas, and amounted in all
to about 1,000 individuals. These three Aldeas were
united to form the present one, Duro, which place is caUed
in their own language Ropechedy, signifying beautiful
situation, a title which it well merits. Here also I found
that the inhabitants lived in constant fear of the Cherente
Indians, who inhabit the woods on the banks of the Bio
Tocantins to the North- West of Duro. These Indians
have made several attacks on the mission, but the occasion
on which they committed the greatest havock, was in the
year 1789, when a body of them amounting to upwards
of two hundred, surrounded the Aldea one morning about
ten o'clock, and before evening, had burned all the houses
320 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
in the outskirts of the Aldea, and killed about forty
persons, including men, women and children, They also
carried away four children, two of whom were nephews
of the old captain. The inhabitants of the Aldea kept
up a constant fire upon the Cherentes, but they could not
tell how many of them were killed, as they took all thdr
dead with them when they left.
On several nights, during our stay at the Mission,
fires were seen on the Serras at no great distance, and
one day, as one of the inhabitants was returning from the
woods, he saw an Indian, armed with his bow and arrows,
cross the path before him. These circumstances caused
the inhabitants to dread another attack, and they were
but poorly prepared to meet it. Formerly they used to
have a supply of arms and ammunition sent to them
every year by the government, but for many years past,
these had not been furnished to them, and the old ones
were nearly worn out. In cases of necessity, the govern-
ment can call upon the captains to take the field with
their men, and each can raise about forty, able to carry
arms. A few of these Indians have guns of their own,
which they use in hunting, and their powder is a coarse
kind, manufactured by themselves. Some of the shop-
keepers in the towns to the south-west, every year go
down by the Rio Tocantins to Para, to sell hides, and
purchase European goods ; very frequently some of the
young men belonging to Duro hire themselves to work
the canoes, and with the money which they receive for
their services, purchase at Para, axes and other iron tools ;
a party of them returned from one of these trips during
our visit.
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 321
During the fortnight we remained in the Aldea do
Duro, I was principally occupied in drying the immense
collection of specimens obtained in the latter part of the
journey across the Geraes, and the Chapada da Manga-
beira, and in packing up all those which had been procured
between Santa Rosa and Duro. I also made many ex-
cursions in the neighbourhood of the Aldea, and notwith-
standing it was then the end of the dry season, I found it
an excellent field for my researches. The sandy marshes
yielded me many curious Uriocaulons, and beautiful Me-
lastomacea ; while the upland Campos produced several
species oi Diplmodon, many ComposituBy Zabiata, &c.; but
the most common, as well as the most beautiful of the
productions of the Campos, were a small Bi^nonia growing
in tufts^ and scarcely a foot high, bearing numerous
laige lemon-coloured trumpet-shaped flowers, an Ipomaa
similar in habit, and about the same size, producing large
violet-coloured blossoms, {Iponuea hirsutimma, Gardn.)
and two erect kinds of Echites* ; in dry rocky places
AmaryUis SolandraBfloray Lindl., was very conunon, pro-
ducing abundantly its large yellow flowers.
We left Duro on the thirteenth of October, and slept
at the house of one of the Indians, about two leagues
distant from the Aldea : the owner of it, hearing on what
day I was to leave, arrived the night before, and begged
of me to call at his house, which was but a little way off
the road, to see his wife who had been blind for some
years, and was then suffering from Ophthalmia. I, of
course, could not refuse his request, and the poor fellow
tried to make us as comfortable as his miserable residence
* Echitea virescenSy St. Hil., Dipladenia Gurdnerianay Alph. DC.
Y
822 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
would allow. This place was called Cachoeira, from a
small water-fall near it ; the high undulating hills which
surrounded the valley in which the house stood, gave it
a very picturesque appearance. There were two other
houses, at a 43hort distance from that in which we slept,
and although they are surrounded by the finest possil^
grounds for plantations, the three families have but one
small spot planted with mandiocca, which seemed to be
the only article they cultivate. Although there were
abundant pastures in the neighbourhood, not one of
them possessed a single cow, and their excuse for not
having one, was the trouble it would give them to make
a fence round their plantation ; rather thim do any manual
labour of that kind, they prefer lounging about the house
in a state of idleness, or going out in the woods with their
gun and axe, in search of game and wild honey. Our
farinha being nearly exhausted, I enquired whether any
was to be had at this place, but they had none, nor would
they have a supply for a month to come, as the man-
diocca was not yet ripe ; fortunately a young man passed
in the evening, with a very small quantity which he at
first refused to sell, as he was iskking it to a neighbour, in
return for some he had borrowed ; he consented, however,
to let me have half of it, on condition of receiving dried beef
in exchange, which, as we had then plenty, I agreed to.
On the journey from Duro to this place, we traversed
a beautiful country of hill and dale, much of it being thinly
wooded ; some of the more open upland fields, owing to
the recent rains, were covered with new grass about a
foot high, on which no animals fed, excepting a few wild
deer ; it is a general custom among the cattle farmers, to
PARNAQUA TO NATIVIDADE. 823
bum the pastures at the end of the dry season, in order
that the new grass may spring up rapidly on the setting
in of the rains ; this is also done by the inhabitants of
the mission, but with the view to keep their hunting
grounds more open, and encourage the visits of deer. It
seems probable, that at no very distant period, the whole
of this district, and much of the country that Ues to the
east and north-west, will be converted into large cattle
farms, as it is well calculated for the rearing of cattle,
owing to the mildness of the climate, and the abundance
of grass and water which exists here all the year round.
The rain prevented our leaving Cachoeira on the follow-
ing day till two o'clock in the afternoon, when after a
journey of two leagues, we arrived at the house of the Juiz
de Paz of Duro ; on account of the bad state of the roads
it was dusk before we accomplished this distance. The
first league and a half of our journey was over a hUly
rocky country, when we began to descend the Serra do
Duro, and shortly afterwards, entered upon a flat rather
thickly wooded tract. It is at the foot of the Serra that
the mission of Duro terminates, and about half a mile
from it stands the house in T^hich the Juiz de Paz resided ;
it was exceedingly small, and as the outer room, that ge^
nerally given to travellers, would not conveniently hold us,
he told me we should find much better accommodation
at the house of a relation of his, who Uved about a gun-
shot distant, and he kindly accompanied us thither. On
reaching it, we foimd half a dozen Indians, sitting round
a fire under a veranda in front of the house, and super-
intending the cooking of their supper in a large pot.
While we were arranging our trunks against the wall, the
y2
324 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
master of the house begged of us to wait till the men had
taken out their beds, when each came and carried his
away, which however consisted of nothing more than half
a cows hide ; they sleep here as in the Aldea, stretching
the hide in a comer, on which they lie without taking off
their clothes ; I saw no one make use of a hammock.
A journey of three leagues from the residence of the
Juiz de Paz, through a flat thinly wooded coimtry, almost
destitute of herbaceous vegetation, (no rains having as yet
fallen in this quarter), brought us to a Fazenda, situated
on the banks of the Bio de Manoel Alvez, a large stream,
which takes it rise in the Serra do Duro, to the north of
the Aldea, and falls into the Bio Tocantins. At this
Fazenda we were informed, that as the river had risen
considerably, it would be impossible for our horses to
cross with their loads ; and the canoe used for ferrying
over passengers and luggage, had been carried away by
the floods of the previous season, circumstances which
rendered it necessary to have every thing transported
across the river on mens' heads. At the Fazenda I en-
gaged a negro and a mulatto, to assist my own men in
this operation ; the ferry was about a mile further down ,
here the river is about forty yards broad, and the current
very strong, in consequence of a rapid which exists a little
further below. When the two men, who both were taH
and strong, entered with the first loads, it was with diflB-
culty they could keep their feet, as the water, during the
greater part of the way, took them up to the shoulders ; the
recompense they asked, half a dollar each, was, however,
very dearly earned, as they had each to cross the river back-
wards and forwards about twelve times, which occupied
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 325
more than two hours. Mr. Walker and I attempted to
cross a little above the feny by swimming, but the force
of the current swept us both over the rapids ; Mr. Walker
being carried with great force against some rocks, and it
was with no small dificulty, that he reached the opposite
side below the rapid, in a state of great exhaustion ; I
was more fortunate, being carried down at a place clear
of rocks, where I soon regained the same bank of the
river 1 had just left. I returned to the ferry, where I
succeeded in crossing, being assisted by one of the men,
for I was too low in stature to be able to bear up against
the current alone. After this delay we resumed our
journey, with the intention of halting during the night
at a Fazenda about a league ftirther, but, finding we had
still ample time, we pushed on to a village called Almas,
about two leagues to the westward, which we reached
about sunset. The country we passed after crossing the
river, was nearly flat, and thinly wooded, but not so
much scorched up as that we traversed in the morning.
The village ^f Almas, is situated in a hollow, and con-
sists of a few irregular streets, the houses of which are low
and of mean appearance, being buUt of lai^e unbumed
bricks, made of clay mixed with chopped grass and dried
in the sun. The number of its inhabitants amounts to
about 800, by far the greater part of whom are blacks and
mulattos, and intermixtures between these and Indians.
The Juiz de Paz was a Creole negro, who could neither
read nor write ; he was the principal shop-keeper in the
village, and annually made a journey to Bahia to purchase
goods. The village contains a church, which is in about
^ ruined a condition as that of Duro, and, in like man-
826 TEAVELS IN BRAZIL.
ner has no resident Priest. Although the neighbourhood
presents abundance of excellent ground for plantations,
not one was here to be seen. Upon our arrival I fully
expected to be able to purchase sone farinha, but none
was to be had ; it was indeed only as a very great favour
that a person who came to consult me professionally, sold
me a little rice. Every one was complaining of the
scarcity of provisions, and the want of money, but not a
word was said about the indolence and idleness, which no
doubt was the cause of the femiine that now existed
among them. In consequence of almost incessant rains,
we were obliged to remain in this viUage four days.
Our first stage &om Almas was to a Fazenda, called
Oalheiro Morto, said to be only two leagues farther, but I
have no doubt its real distance was nearly four, judging
from the time we took to perform the journey. The lea-
gues in this part of the country have never been mea-
sured, and as the land was originally bought by the
league, it was the interest of the purchaser to take as
large a portion as he could obtain ; in the province of
Piauhy, we found the leagues much longer than those of
Ceara, but those of Goyaz even exceeded them. This
di£Perence is so manifest, that they are designated as the
short one (legoa pequena), and the long one (legoa grande) ;
the shorter league I always found to be quite long
enough, and whenever the long one was to be travelled
over, I usually calculated the time necessary for accom-
plishing two short ones and, indeed I seldom found it
required less. We halted at this place till the afternoon,
when another journey of three leagues brought us to a
little hamlet, consisting of about half a dozen houses,
PARNAQT7A TO NATIYIDADE. 827
called Morhmos. The owner of the house where we put
up for the night, returned from the woods shortly after
our arrival, with a considerable quantity of wild honey,
some of which he kindly gave us, and we foimd it to.be
excellent ; it was the product of one of the smaller bees
which are so numerous in this part of Brazil. This was
the season in which the people go to the woods, in search
of honey ; it is so generally used, that after leaving Duro,
a portion was presented to us at almost every house where
we stopped. These bees mostly belong to the genus Meli*
ponoy Dlig., and I collected a great many, which with
some other zoological specimens, were afterwards lost
in crossing a river. A list of them witii their native names
and a few observations, may not be uninteresting.
1. JcUahy. — ^This is a very minute yellowish coloured
species, being scarcely two lines long. The
honey, which is excellent, very much resembles
that of the common hive-bee of Europe.
2. Midker branco. — ^About the same size as the Jatahy^
but of a whitish colour; the honey is likewise
good, but a little add.
8. Tubi, — ^A htde black bee^ smaller than a common
house-fly ; the honey is good, but has a peculiar
and bitter flavour.
4. Manoel d'abreu, — ^About the size of the IM^ but of
a yellowish colour ; its honey is good.
5. AtaJkira. — ^Black, and nearly of the same size as the
Ikdt, the principal distinction between them
consisting in the kind of entrance to their hives ;
the IkM makes it of wax, the Atakira of day ;
its honey is very good*
32S TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
6. Oanti. — ^Of a blackish colour, and about the same
size as the Ik6t; its honey is rather sour, and
not good.
7. Tataira. — About the size of the IMi, but with a
yellow body, and a black head ; its honey is ex-
cellent.
8. Mumbuco. — ^Black, and lai^r than the Tubi\ the
honey after being kept about an hour becomes
as sour as lemon juice.
9. BejuL — ^Very like the Tubi, but smaller; its honey
is excellent.
10. Ti^d. — Of the size of a large house-fly, and of a
greyish black colour ; its honey is excellent.
11. Bora. — ^About the size of a house-fly, and of a yel-
lowish colour, its honey is acid.
12. TJrmm. — About the size of a large humble bee ; the
head is black and the body yellowish, it pro-
duces good honey.
13. Urussu preto. — ^Entirely black, and upwards of one
inch in length ; it likewise produces good honey.
14. Canidra. — ^Black, and about the same size as the
Urussupreto; its honey is too bitter to be eatable;
it is said to be a great thief of the honey of other
bees.
16. CAupe. — ^About the size of the liubd, and of a black
colour ; it makes its hive of day, on the branches
of trees, and is often of a very large size ; its
honey is good.
16. Urapud. — ^Very like the CAt^Sf but it always builds
its hive rounder, flatter, and smaller.
17. FncAi. — This is a kind of wasp, about the size of a
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. S29
house-fly; its head is black, and the body yellow;
it builds its hive in the branches of trees ; this
is of a papery tissue, of about three feet in cir-
cumference : its honey is good.
18. Enchu pegueno. — ^Very similar to the last, but it
always makes a smaller hive ; it also produces
good honey.
The first eleven of these honey-bees construct their
cells in the hollow trunks of trees, and the others, either
in similar situations or beneath the ground ; it is only
the three last kinds, which sting, all the others being
harmless. The only attempt I ever saw to domesticate
any of these bees, was by a Cornish Miner, in the Gold
District, who cut off those portions of the trunks of the
trees which contained the nests, and hung them up under
the eaves of his house ; they seemed to thrive very well,
but whenever the honey was wanted, it was necessary to
destroy the bees. Both the Indians and the other inha-
bitants of the country, are very expert in tracing these in-
sects to the trees in which they hive ; they generally
mix the honey, which is very fluid, with farinha before
they eat it, and of the wax, they make a coarse kind of
taper about a yard long, which serves in lieu of candles,
and which the country people bring to the villages for
sale. We found these very convenient, and always
carried a sufficient stock with us ; not unfrequently we
were obliged to manufacture them ourselves, from the
wax obtained by my own men ; a coarse soft kind of cot-
ton yam for wicks, was always to be purchased at the dif-
ferent Fazendas and villages through which we passed.
From Morhinos, we went on to the Fazenda of Nossa
330 TEAVSLS IN BRAZIL.
Senhora d'Amparo, the distance being about liiiee leagues.
It was my intention to have proceeded two leagues
farther, to a Fazenda called Santa Cruz, on the banks of
the Rio do Peixe, there being a canoe there for crossing
it ; but having enquired about the state of the river, we
were informed that it was then bw, and might be forded
at a place farther up, without taking off the loads, and,
moreover, save a circuit of nearly two leagues. We had
yet about a league to go before we reached this ferry,
where I found the river much smaller than that of Manoel
Alvez, and shallow enough to be passed without difficulty;
but, notwithstanding this, one of the loads of dried plants
met with a sad misfortune, the horse that bote it slipped^
and fell down, just as he was emerging from the bank,
when one of the boxes dropped into the river, and before
it could be extracted was filled with water ; it is only a
botanist who can imagine my feelings on this occasion,
when I saw upwards of 2,000 specimens, that had cost
me so much labour to proems, completely drenched, and
apparently ruined for ever. My first care was to unpack
them, and put them into dry paper, but so many speci-
mens were laid on every sheet, that this process had but
little effect in dissipating the moisture ; I contented my-
self, however, with the hope of being able next day to
unpack them, and spread them out in the sun. After the
box was dried, and the plants again deposited in it, the
package was, for greater security, placed upon a strongs
horse ; we had not, however, proceeded above half a
league, when in crossing a small rivulet, I had again the
mortification to see the same box, as well as another that
had previously escaped this disaster, both plunged below
PARNAOUA TO NATIYIDADE. 331
the water. The unluclsy animal that carried them was
leading the way, when instead of entering at the right
fording-place, he stumbled into a deep hole, with a
muddy bottom, and in struggling to extricate himself,
flung off both the packages. If I felt much chagrined on
the former occasion, it may be imagined what my distress
was, when I saw the hard labour of many weeks, the
produce of a district hitherto unexplored by any botanist,
thus apparently consigned to ruin ; all that then could
be done, was to drain the water out of the boxes, and
resume our journey. It happened most fortunately that
towards evening, we reached a Fazenda, where tJie prin-
dpal article manufactured, was farinha de mandiocca; and
as it rained heavily all the next day, I was glad to obtain
permission to make use of two large stoves, on which we
dried, sheet by sheet, all the specimens that had been
soaked ; it was, however, the most fatiguing day's work I
ever encountered, for both Mr. Walker and myself were in-
cessantly occupied over the heated stoves, from six o'clock
in tiie morning till after midnight. In consequence of
this prompt attention, the plants did not suffer as much
as I anticipated.
We remained two days at this Fazenda, called Mato
Virgem, having to wait one day longer than I intended,
owing to our want of farinha ; the day after our arrival
they commenced the manufacture of a quantity, which
could not be got ready until the evening before we left.
The place in which it was prepared, was the apartment
where we were allowed to put up, the persons engaged in
it, being the mistress of the house, who was a young mu-
latta, and eight slaves, four men, and four women ; I was
832 TBAVBL8 IN BRAZIL.
astonished to find all of them, except one man, and one
woman, affected with goitre ; the swelling on the neck of
one of the women, was much larger than her head. They
assured me it was a very general complaint in this part of
the province of Goyaz, particularly in the Villas of Nati*
vidade and Arrayas ; in the Aldea of Duro, I saw only
one woman affected by it, and another in the Arraial of
Almas. One of the slaves was an old man upwards of
one hundred years of age, and quite blind, but he was,
notwithstanding, occupied all day in sifting farinha ; his
only dress consisted of a small dirty rag rolled round his
middle ; that of the others was but little better, indeed,
in no part of Brasdl did I meet with slaves so wretchedly
attired as at this place. It was surprising to me that the
mistress was not ashamed to see them in such a state ;
but I have no doubt, the fault was with the owner of the
Fazenda, who, judging from his appearance, seemed to
be an old miser.
When we left Mato Virgem it was our intention to
reach a little hamlet, called Joao Lopez, said to be three
long leagues distant. We were told that we should have
no difGlculty in getting there, as there was a straight road
to it ; but we had scarcely travelled a league and a half
when we came to a place where there were two equally
beaten paths, and not knowing which to take, we chose
that leading to the right, and continuing onwards all
day, through a flat thinly-wooded country, without seeing
either man or house, we arrived at a Fazenda, a little
before sun down, where we were told, what I already sus-
pected, that we had taken the wrong road ; but it was of
little consequence, as it led also to the Villa de Nativi-
paiiSagtja to natividAde. 33S
dade, the place we finally intended to reach. This
Fazenda, called Sociedade, belongs to Senhor Manoel
Jose Alves Leite, a young Portuguese, who was then Juiz
de Paz of the Arraial da Chapada, a village about a
league distant. On our arrival, we were very kindly
treated by him ; a fowl was immediately killed, and an
excellent supper prepared, to which we did ample justice,
after our long day's journey. The Portuguese who settle
in the country, are said, by the Brazilians, to be of a
mean and grasping disposition, and deficient in the sen-
timent of benevolence ; this may be the case with many
among the great number of the uneducated, who emigrate
fipom Portugal to Brazil, where there is not much induce^
ment to the improvement of their character, but among
them there are many young men, who have received some
education, and who by their good behaviour, and closer
attention to business than the proud and indolent Bra-
zilians, sooner acquire means of independence, which causes
them to become the object both of their envy and dislike,
I had little opportunity of associating with the Portu-
guese on the coast, but in the interior, I have met with
many worthy men of that nation, who have shown me the
greatest kindness, when this has been refused by a Bra-
zilian. Ever since the independence of Brazil, they hav6
been very greatly persecuted, and whenever any political
disturbance takes place, as a necessary consequence,
numbers of Portuguese are murdered, and robbed of all
they possess : there exists no fellow-feeling between the
two nations. As soon as our host became aware of my
intention to remain a month or two at Natividade^ in
884 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
order to give rest to my horses, he most kindly urged me
to send them to his Fazenda, where he would take charge
of them till our departure ; such, indeed, was the civiUty
we experienced, that I had no reason to r^;ret having
taken the wrong road.
Early on the following morning, the 25th of October,
we left Sociedade, and after a journey of two long lea-
gues, reached the Villa de Natividade. The country
between these two places, is flat and thinly-wooded, but
on the east side of the road, near the Villa, there is an
extensive Serra, about 2,000 feet high, which stretches
from north to south. The road passes near the base of
this Serra for about half a league, and I was astonished to
see the soil, which is of a gravelly nature, dug up into deep
trenches, and at intervals, the ruins of what appeared once
to have been houses; these trenches, I was informed,
were old gold-workings, which had been abandoned for a
long time, on account of the gold being exhausted. The
gold-workings seem to have been carried to a considerable
extent, for the entire soil, for about half a league in
length, and more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, had
evidently been completely turned over, to some depth,
and the whole aj^eared to have undergone the process of
washing ; I afterwards found that most of the country in
the vicinity of the Villa, had been explored in the same
manner. On our arrival, we had no difficulty in finding
an empty house, for our accommodation, and shortly
afterwards, the rains set in very heavily, on which ac-
count we were detained here upwards of three months.
This, however, I did not regret, after our long jouxney of
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE. 835
considerably more than a thousand miles, reckoned from
the time we left Oeiras, from the effects of which the
horses had become much exhausted.
I must not omit to mention, that on our journey from
Duro to Natividade, we met with great abundance of a
delicious wild froit, a kind of Mangaba {Hancorniajm-
beseem^ var. Gardneri, Alph. D.C.) different from the
one that grows so abundantly in the provinces of Ceara
and Femambuco ; the fruit is nearly twice its size, and
even more delicious. We first met vidth it on the Serra
do Duro, where it is called Mangaba do morro, but it is
also abundant on the Chapadas, on the plain below, and
like that of the other species, this is only good to eat
when ripe enough to fall from the tree.
CHAPTER X-
NATIVIDADE TO AEBATAS.
The Town of Natividade described — ^Its Population — Dress and Man*
ners of the People — ^Its Climate — Diseases — Goitre extremely pre-
valent— ^Excursion to the neighbouring lofty Mountain Eange — ^Its
Geology and Vegetation — ^Visits the Arraial da Chapada — ^Leaves
Natividade — ^Passes San Bento, and arrives at the Arraial de Con*
cei^ao— Its Population — Very subject to Goitre — ^Probable cause of
this Complaint — ^Beaches Barra, and crosses the Bio de Palma —
Arrives at Santa Brida — Stays at Sap^ — ^Account of the Animal and
Vegetable Productions of the Neighbourhood — ^Beaches the Villa de
Arrayas — ^the Town described — Geological Features of the surround-
ing Country — Its Climate and Productions — ^Alarm of the Inhabitants
— ^Muster of the National Guard — ^Preparation for departure.
The Villa de Natividade is situated near the western
base of the southern extremity of the Serra abready men-
tioned, which bears the same name» and like most of the
towns m the interior is very irregularly built. The popu-
lation amounts to about 2,000 souls, consisting of the
same mixed races we had so frequently met with before.
It contains four churches, which although now very old,
are not yet quite finished, nor is it at all likely that
they ever will be completed. There is also a jail, but it
is built of unbumed bricks, through which the prisoners
generally contrive to escape, so that it can scarcely be
called a prison. Most of the houses are constructed of
NATIVIDADE TO AERATAS. 337
material. The inhabitants are lazy and indolent in the
extreme, and consequently there is always a great scarcity
of the conmion necessaries of life among them ; notwith-
standing that much of the country in the neighbourhood
of the Villa is well suited for plantations of mandiocca &c.,
still very few are to be seen ; and although there are many
large cattle farms, at only a few leagues distance, it is
not above once a month, that fresh beef can be purchased ;
but this is not much to be wondered at, as the mass of
the inhabitants, from their indolent habits, have not the
means of buying it, or any other useful article. On en-
quiry of one of the most respectable persons in the place,
how these people contrived to live, he told me that the
few who were industrious, had to support the others, for
they generally stole from their plantations, as much as
served to sustain their miserable existence. During our
stay, we were obUged to hve almost entirely on farinha
and dried salt beef, neither rice, plantains, nor yams being
obtainable. Occasionally I was able to purchase a kind
of coarse biscuit, made of Indian com flour, and once or
twice I had a present sent me of a few small loaves, made
from wheat grown on high lands, near the town of Ca-
valcante, a long way to the south. ' I never saw wheat
cultivated in any of those places I visited, and this was
the only time I ever tasted bread made from that grain
grown within the Tropics.
Although the dress of the men is here much the same
as in other northern parts of Brazil, that of the women
difiers greatly,for when dressed either for attending church,
joining in processions, or visiting their friends, in place of
the large white cotton shawl, which the women of Ceara
338 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
throw over their heads, orthe small white handkerchief used
in Piauhy for the same purpose, I was rather surprised to
find that here, they all wore cloaks, either made of Scotch
tartan, or blue cloth, very similar to those worn by the
factory girls of Glasgow in the winter season. Here it is
a universal custom for the women to smoke, and the pipe,
which has a wooden tube about three feet long, is seldom
out of their mouth from morning till night. They work
httle, but eat and sleep a great deal ; the lower classes
of females are also much addicted to drinking the rum of
the country (Cacha9a). The only prisoner confined in
the jail, while I was there, was a woman, who a few years
before was condemned to twenty years imprisonment, for
causing her own son to kill his father. The son who was
condemned to perpetual imprisonment and hard labour,
broke through the walls of the prison^ shortly after his
sentence, and effected his escape.
When we arrived, there were three priests in the Villa,
one of whom died during our stay. These like most
others I met with, instead of being examples of morality
to the people, were immoral to an extent almost past
belief. The one who died, was an old man upwards of
seventy-four years of age ; he was a native of Santos in
the province of San Paulo, and a cousin of the celebrated
Jose Bonifacio de Andrade. Although a man of a veiy
humane and benevolent disposition, and well educated, he
left behind him a family of half a dozen children by his
own slaves, most of whom, with their mothers, were left in
bondage, and were afterwards sold with his other effects for
the payment of his debts. The Vigario Geral was a half cast,
upwards of forty years of age, who had only been ordained
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS. 339
a few years before ; up to that time he was and still
continues to be, the largest cattle farmer in the district.
Having acquired as much Latin &om the old priest, as would
enable him to mumble over the service of the church, but
without the least knowledge of theology, he went to the
city of Goj^, to purchase his ordination from the bishop -,
a short time afterwards he obtained by another purchase
the vicar generalship of the district. About a month
after my arrival in the Villa, I was sent for to attend
a young slave belonging to him, a fine girl about six-
teen years of age, who died of puerperal fever, a few
days after giving birth to a child, of which he was the
father; by the inhabitants, this man was as much detested,
as the old priest had been loved and esteemed.
Both the soil and the climate of this neighbourhood are
far superior to those of Piauhy and Ceara ; the rains gene-
rally set in about the beginning of October, and continue
more or less till April. During the whole of the month
of December, and part of January, it rained almost inces-
santly every day, rendering it quite impossible to stir out ;
but in the latter part of January and the beginning of
February the weather was very fine, with the exception of
the afternoons, when there was usually a heavy thunder
storm. The thunder-storms, and the rain generally came
from the north, north-east, and east, originating proba-
bly on the Serras which exist at a considerable distance
in those directions. Indian com and mandiocca are the
principal articles cultivated here ; but many of the Fazen-
deiros also find it profitable to plant cane, not so much
for the manufacture of sugar, as of rum, which meets
a ready sale. The only fruit trees that are cultivated ar^
z2
840 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
orange and lime, and in a few instances the jaca, and
tamarind.
The principal diseases of this district are intermittent
and malignant fevers, especially at the beginning and to-
wards the end of the rainy season. Ophthalmia and its
consequences, as well as Syphilis and its effects, are also
very common, and yearly produce many miserable objects.
Nearly the whole of the inhabitants are affected with goitre,
and children are frequently bom with it, even strangers
who come to reside in the Villa and neighbourhood, are sure
to become affected with it in the course of a few years.
Some ascribe it to the use of the sea salt brought from
Para, the people having previously been accustomed to
the use of that they obtain firom the soil in the neigh-
bourhood, which is impregnated with salt ; others say
that it is caused by the waters from the Serra, which in
the dry season particularly, are a little saline. Whatever
the cause may be, all seemed to agree both here, and at
Almas, that it is only within the last twenty years, that it
has become so prevalent among them : I found it quite
as frequent at Conceipao and Arrayas, two towns further
to the south, at which places the waters are also saline,
especially those flowing from the limestone moimtains.
All the places where I have seen it prevail, lie along the
0a8tern base of the Serra Geral, a broad mountain chain,
which divides the province of Goyaz firom those of Pct-
nambuco, and Minas Geraes ; burnt sponge is the only
remedy they employ against it. They have, however, re-
course to another method, in which they put great faith ;
this is a small piece of cord, taken to a church, and cut
exactly the length of the imagQ of the cnicifixion, which
KATIVIDABE TO AREAYAS*. S41
they wear round their necks. I made enquiries of several
who wore this kind of charm, whether they imagined it
produced any effect on the swelling, but, as was to be ex-
pected, they all confessed that it not only failed in curing
it» but in no way prevented it firom increasing in size.
I had now reached the most northerly point of the
Brazilian Empire, that had previously been visited by any
naturalist, for neither Pohl nor Burchell had extended
their excursions beyond Natividade. It is true that Spix
and Martins also travelled in the north of Brazil, but
their route was in a very different direction. As I was
here informed that these travellers had not ascended the
neighbouring lofty Serra, I was resolved to do so, for the
double purpose of making botanical collections, and of
examining its geological structure. On this journey I
was accompanied by Mr. Walker, a black shoe-maker
who acted as a guide, and one of my own men. Follow-
ing the banks of a small stream which comes from the
Serra, and which passing near the north end of the Villa,
yields it a constant supply of clear and cool water, we
reached the foot of the Serra, and shortly afterwards, by a
gradual ascent arrived on the top of a low branch, where
we found a broad shallow valley, the soil of which had been
completely turned over in search of gold, and near the
centre of it, we came upon the ruins of what we were
told had been the original site of the Villa ; it was founded
by those who first ventured into this distant region, in
search of gold, and was abandoned about sixty or
seventy years ago, when this metal became scarce, and
when cattle farms were foiind to be more productive than
mines. Near the top of this valley there is a small
S42 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
artificial lake, which must have been formed at a great
expense, and from it the water was led in small streams
to the places where the washings were going on. The
soil in which the gold was found, is a ferruginous gravel,
formed from the disintegration of the primitive rocks of
which the Serra is composed.
Leaving the valley of the Gold Mines, which is above
a mile in length, and beginning to ascend the higher part
of the Serra, which is very thinly wooded with small
trees, and covered with abundance of tree-lilies {Fellozia),
as well as several kinds of coarse grass, we arrived at a
place near the summit, which was rocky, steep, and of
difficult ascent. It was some time before we could find
a proper path, and in doing so, Mr. Walker, who was the
first to climb up, met with an accident which nearly
proved fatal to him ; when near the top, part of a rock by
which he laid hold, gave way, and he was precipitated
from a height of about sixteen or eighteen feet, with
great violence, and rolled over some large stones to- within
a few feet of a deep precipice ; it was a most fortunate
circumstance for him that he did not go over it, or he
would have been dashed to pieces. Although consider-
ably bruised, he was again the first to lead the way,
reaching the top with safety, where, with more or less
difficulty we followed him. On attaining this point, we
thought we had gained the highest part of the Serra, but
about half a mile to the north we saw another point con-
siderably higher, to which we now directed our steps.
During the ascent the sun was very powerful, but at this
elevation, we found a deliciously cool breeze blowing fix)m
the east, which was very refreshing. We all suffered
NATIVIDABE TO ARRATAS. S43
fix^m thirst, and fortunately found, at the base of the
highest peak, a little pool of clear cool water, by the side
of which we took some refreshment that we had brought
with us. From the summit we had a beautiful prospect
in all directions ; to the eastward and north, the view was
bounded by several chains of low Serras, but to the
westward and south, the country appeared one vast plain,
whi(^ was lost in the horizon. The top was covered with
large blocks of granite, among which grew a few stunted
trees and shrubs.
I found the western side of the Serra to be bounded
by a thick bed of very compact greyish coloured lime-
stone, which beyond the northern point of the Serra, for
some leagues, forms large isolated hills, covered with
wood. The central part of the chain is granite, between
which, and the limestone formation, the rocks are schis-
tose. My botanical harvest was a very rich one, so much
so, that I was induced on two subsequent occasions, to
ascend the mountain again. I collected, in particular,
many curious and beautiful little ferns, aU new species,
and several beautiful Fellozias ; these plants are peculiar
to Brazil, and as I have so often spoken of them, I shall
here describe their appearance : they belong to the Un-
dogenom or Monocotyledonous division of the Vegetable
Kingdom, and were named in honour of Dr. Joaquim
Vellozo de Miranda, a Jesuit, who was a native of the
province of Minas Geraes, and who devoted much of his
leisure time to the study of the botany of his country.
They are most commonly found on the mountains of the
interior, but principally in the Gold and Diamond districts,
growing in open grassy places, and often covering large
344 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tracts ; they vary in height from a few inches to twelve
feet, their stems are very dry and fibrous, and seem to
be made up of a great mass of long slender roots loosely
hung together ; and not unfrequently they contain a resi-
nous matter, which causes them to be sought after in the
woodless regions of the Diamond district for fuel. Some-
times these stems are not less than a foot in diameter,
they are very much branched, and are entirely leafless,
except the last divisions of the branches, which are clothed
with long, narrow, aloe-like leaves, not however, fleshy ;
from the centre of these spring the flowers, which are
generally solitary, although some of the smaller species
have as many as six arising from the end of each branch.
In the large kinds, the flowers are about six inches long,
either of a pure white, or more frequently of a beautiful
purple colour ; in shape, they are not unlike the lai^e
white lily of our gardens, and hence their name of tree-
UUes. These plants are called by the Brazilians, Canela
d'Emu ( literally Emu shanks) from their bare steins re-
sembling the legs of that bird. These beautiful plants
were flrst introduced into the hothouses of England, from
seeds sent home by me, and as they are of very slow
growth, and apparently difficult of cultivation, it may
reasonably be expected they will be a long time, before
they can exhibit the beauty of their wild progenitors.
Besides many shorter excursions which I made in the
neighbourhood of Natividade, I went several times to the
Arraial da Chapada, a village about two leagues to the
N.W.; it is about half the size of Natividade, and is
situated on one of those low, flat table-lands called Cha-
padas, and hence its name. The country round it, as
NATIVIBADB TO AEEATA8. S46
about Natividade, has all been turned over in search of
gold, but those who formerly employed their slaves on
this labour, now find it more to their profit to employ
them on plantations ; there are still a few old free blacks
who get a scanty livelihood by washing the soil. On my
visits to this place I was always very hospitably enter-
tained by Captain Baptista, an old Portuguese, who has
been settled there for many years, and who is father-in-law
to the proprietor of Sociedade. He spoke much of Pohl
and Burchell, both of whom remained some time in the
Arndal, and with whom he seemed to have been intimate.
My visits to this place afforded large additions to my col-
lections, the limestone hills near Sociedade in particular,
being very rich in plants. During my stay in the Villa
de Natividade, I received much kindness from Senhor
Zacaria Antonio do Santo, the Juiz dos Ori^os. I had
many visits also from a person who lived at a little dis-
tance from the Villa, and who at one time had been Juiz
de Paz ; he was a very good-natured and simple minded
man, as the following anecdote will show. The first time
he called on me, he said he wished to speak with me in pri-
vate ; he began by telling me that he had heard the En-
glish had the power of divining where hidden gold was
to be discovered, and that as much gold was to be found
in the Serra, if I would point out where a rich mine ex-
isted, he would undertake to work it, and share the pro-
fits with me. In almost the same breath he informed
me, that a few years ago a Portuguese died in the neigh-
bourhood, who was always considered to be very rich, but
that on his decease no money was to be found ; now, he
said, he fully believed that it was all buried, somewhere
846 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
near his house^ which was now in roins^ and that if I would
accompany him there, and discover it, we could, without
any one knowing it, share it between us. The poor old
fellow seemed sadly disappointed when I told him that I
had never made such a branch of knowledge my study.
One dark night, about the beginning of December,
while passing along the streets of the Villa de Nativi-
dade, I observed some boys amusing themselves with
some luminous object, which I at first supposed to be a
kind of large fire-fly ; but on making enquiry I found it
to be a beautiful phosphorescent fungus, belonging to the
genus Jffaricu8, and was told that it grew abundantly in
the neighbourhood, on the decaying leaves of a dwarf
palm. Next day I obtained a great many specimens,
and found them to vary from one to two and a half inches
across. The whole plant gives out at night a bright
phosphorescent light, of a pale greenish hue, similar to
that emitted by the larger fire-flies, or by those curious
soft-bodied marine animals, the Fyrosoma; firom this
circumstance, and from growing on a palm, it is called
by the inhabitants "Flor do Coco ;" the light given out
by a few of these fungi, in a dark room, was sufficient to
read by. It proved to be quite a new species, and since
my return from Brazil, has been described by the Rev.
Mr. Berkeley under the name of J^aricus Gardneriy from
preserved specimens which I brought home. I had
already named it J. pkospAorescens, not being aware at
the time I discovered it, that any other species of the
same genus exhibited a similar phenomenon ; such, how-
ever, is the case in the J^aricm olearius of De CandoUe ;
and Mr. Drummond of the Swan River Colony, in Aus-
NATIVIDADB TO ARBATAS. 847
tralia, has given an account of a very large phosporesoent
species, occasionally found there.*
On the 10th of February 1840, we left Natividade,
with the intention of proceeding to the Villa de Arrayas,
a small town about thirty leagues to the S.E. ; we had
made all our preparations to leave on the second, but had
the mortification to find one of our horses missing, which
detained us eight days ; it proved, in the end, that some
one had taken the loan of it, for four days after our de-
parture, it was found near the place whence it had been
taken, and was sent after me by my friend the Juiz dos
Orfaos. Leaving Natividade, and skirting the base of
the Serra in a southerly direction, we arrived at the
banks of a smaQ river called the Biacho Salobro, which
flows towards the west, and falls into the Manoel Alvez :
its waters are very brackish during the dry season. The
loads had all to be passed over a rude kind of bridge
(pingella) formed of the trunks of two trees, and as both
the river and its banks were deep, we had no little diffi-
culty in getting the horses across, which was done by
swimming them. We remained for the night at the
Fazenda das tres legoas, nearly three leagues from the
Villa as its name implies. On the following morning,
after a journey of one long league and a half, we again
reached the banks of the Rio de Manoel Alvez, at a place
where it was both much broader and deeper than where
we previously crossed it; here, however, we were for-
tunate enough to find a canoe. My first care was to have
the horses passed to the other side, which was done by
two men entering the canoe, and each taking hold of a
♦ Hooker, Journal of Bot. Vol. 1. p. 215.
848 TRAVELS IN BEAZIL.
halter they were swum over, two at a time. Before all
our luggage was conveyed to the opposite bank, a heavy
thunder-storm passed over us from the N.E., which
drenched us completely ; in consequence of this I thought
it best to proceed at once to the first house^ which was
only half a league distant, where we remained for the
night. The country between the Villa and the river is
nearly a flat plain, consisting of large open campos,
marshes, and tracts, but thinly wooded with small trees.
Several beautiful flowering shrubs, and a few terrestrial
Orchidea were collected on this journey.
From this place, a journey of about ten leagues brought
us to the Arraial de Conceigao, a distance that occupied
us two days and a half. On the night of the 12th we
slept at a large cattle Fazenda, called San Bento, and a
very stormy afternoon prevented us from leaving it. Till
within about a league of the Arraial, the country continues
flat and open, but afterwards it became hilly, the hills
being low and often rocky. So thinly is the country po-
pulated in these districts, that between San Bento and
the Axraial, a distance of at least twenty miles, we passed
only one house. The greater part of this district is only
adapted for the rearing of cattle, but there is much also
admirably suited for plantations of different kinds.
The Arraial de Conceipao contains a population of
about one hundred persons ; but there are many houses
in the village, belonging to Fazendeiros, who only occupy
them at the time of the principal church festivals ; blacks
and mulattos form the greater portion of the residents,
and during the four days we remained here, we saw very
few white people. This village is situated in a hollow be-
NATIVIDADE TO AREATAS. 849
tween two small hills, but the country around in general
is level ; the houses stand principally in two long streets,
and one of the two churches it contains is now in ruins.
The water with which the Arraial is supplied, is obtained
from a small rivulet, it is very bad and of a brackish
taste ; it seems to have some connection with the produc-
tion of goitre, so prevalent along the western side of
the Serra Geral, which, as far as I have traced it, is
bounded by limestone similar to that which exists at
Natividade. Jhe streams which flow over these rocks
are all more or less saline, and wherever these waters are
drunk by the inhabitants, there goitre is found to exist.
Along the eastern side of the Serra, on the contrary, this
disease is scarcely to be met with, and there, at least in
those parts which I visited, no limestone was to be seen,
nor were any of the rivulets impregnated with saline
matter.
The soil for nearly a league round the village, has evi-
dently been well turned over, in search of gold, and from
all accounts, a considerable quantity was found in former
times ; the httle met with at present scarcely repays the
labour of searching for it. The soil in which it is found
is of a clayey, gravelly nature, being evidently the debris
of primitive rocks, the gold appearing either in very
minute particles, or in grains of all sizes, some of which
are said to weigh several ounces. Rich veins are also
supposed to exist in the solid rock, which consists mostly
of quartz, but these they cannot explore to any depth, as
they do not possess the means of getting rid of the water
which accumulates. I was informed by the Vigario, who
perhaps exaggerated the fact, that at a short distance from
350 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the village there exists a mine so rich, that a small bucket
of soil yields nearly a quarter of an ounce of gold ; he
said it was not above twenty feet deep, but in conse-
quence of the influx of a spring, it had been abandoned
for a long time. The only method they employed to get
rid of the water, was by a number of men stationed at
diflferent heights, who handed it to one another in
buckets ; when I enquired why they did not make use of
pumps, he said they had only heard of such things, but
had never seen them, the mechanics of tho-. place being so
ignorant that they do not know how to construct so sim-
ple an instrument ! From the Vigario I received a great
deal of kindness during my stay ; he was a man of very
benevolent disposition, and much respected by the people ;
although advanced in years, he was of a veiy active tem-
perament, far more so, indeed, than the generality, not
only of his class, but of his countrymen. He was the
only person in those parts who was a subscriber for a
newspaper from Rio de Janeiro, but from the irregularity
of the posts, long intervals often elapsed in their delivery.
He kindly gave me a letter of introduction to one of the
most influential persons in the neighbourhood of the Villa
de Arrayas, who was his intimate friend.
Within the last twenty years, two slight earthquakes
have been felt both at Natividade and Concei^ao; the
first occurred in the year 1826, and the other in 1834 ;
the movement of the earth was very perceptibly felt in
both places, although they were each of short duration.
These were the only places in Brazil where I could learn
such phenomena had been observed;
We left Concei9ao on the morning of the 17th of Feb.,
NATIVIDADE TO ARBATA8. 851
when a journey of four long leagues brought us, late in
the afternoon, to the banks of the Bio da Palma. . About
half a league firom the Arraial, the road winds round the
end of a somewhat lofty ridge of rocky hills, not far from
the foot of which, we passed some small Gold Workings.
The slaves employed in this occupation do not give all
they find to their masters, for they are obliged to main*
tain and clothe themselves, and pay to their employers a
certain fixed sum of money, somewhere about six shillings
per week. Many of them have been fortunate enough to
purchase their freedom, but the greater number of them
become indolent and dissipated. A short time before our
arrival, a slave found a piece of pure gold weighing upwards
of ten ounces, which was more than sufficient to procure
him his freedom. The fields about here, were gay with
a fine terrestrial Orchideous plant, an Epistephium^ about
two feet high, bearing a spike of large rose-coloured
flowers. We halted during the middle of the day, at the
only house on the road, the Fazenda de Pindobal, and
started early again, so as to reach the Bio da Palma in
good time to cross it. The country we found to be nearly
flat, consisting of large open campos, which were better
stocked with cattle than any we had hitherto passed
through in this province. When about half way to the
river, we unfortunately went off the proper path, and got
upon a cattle track, which in those thinly-inhabited coun*
tries, often lead the traveller astray, the highway having
quite the same appearance ; it was some time before we
discovered our error, but knowing the direction in which
the river ran, we made direct for it, and in less than half
an hour were so fortunate as to come upon the right road
352 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
again, which now lay through a thin forest, consisting
principally of Qiudea parmflqray Mart. In consequence
of the delay thus occasioned, it was nearly sunset before
we arrived at the ferry.
We found the river much swollen, although it had not
rained here for more than a week, but we concluded that
much rain had fallen recently further up the country.
Owing to this circumstance, and to the lateness of the
hour, we had some difficulty in prevailing on the ferry-
man to carry us over to the other side. The Rio da
Palma is considerably broader than that of M anoel Alvez,
and flows with mudi greater force. In this, as in the
former river, the canoe is maintained at the expence of
government, but it was here on so small a scale, that only
one horse could be taken over at a time ; in this tedious
manner the transit was repeated no less than twelve times
before all could be passed over, which occupied more than
three hours. This place is called Fazenda da Barra, and
contains several houses on both sides of the river ; that to
which we were directed to find accommodation, was so
small, that as the night promised to be fine, we preferred
taking up our quarters under some trees that grew in
front of it.
On the following morning, after we had travelled about
two leagues and a half, we were obliged to stop in con-
sequence of two of the horses becoming very much
fatigued, caused, most probably, by the great exertion of
crossing the river the night before. We halted at a
place near the foot of the Serra de Santa Brida, where
only a few small trees grew, which were barely sufficient
to shelter us from a powerful sun. This Serra is a
NATIVIDADE TO ARRATAS. 353
branch of the same range as that on which the Villa de
Arrayas is situated, and runs in a north-west direction to
within about two leagues of the Bio da Palma ; at its
highest port it is not more than a thousimd feet above
the level of the surrounding country. In the afternoon
we again made a short stage of about a league and a half,
and encamped for the night under some small trees, by
the side of a clear little rivulet that flows from the Serra.
On this journey we met with some showers of rain, and
when we arrived at the place of our encampment, a heavy
thunder-storm came rolling along the Serra towards us
from the south-east, which made us regret that we were
under the necessity of sleeping in the woods ; fortunately,
however, as it approached near to us, it turned off sud-
denly towards the north, after which we had the ad-
vantage of a beautiful night. Our route on this journey,
was through a large flat open valley, bounded on the
north and east by the Serra de Santa Brida, and on the
south and east by another range, called the Serra de
Buriti. This valley consists of large open campos
abounding in tree-lilies, and is but thinly wooded, except
on the margins of small streams that flow from the moun-
tains. Next morning we made a journey of two leagues
through a similar country, and arrived early in the fore-
noon at the Fazenda de Santa Brida, which belongs to a
person for whom I brought letters itom the Vigario of
the Arraial de Conceifao. He does not, however, reside
here, and the only house we found was one belonging
to the vaqueiro who has charge of the cattle. As the
pasture was good, we remained here till the following
day, in order to give the horses a little rest.
2a
354 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
We left early in the morning, and at a short distance
from the Fazenda, crossed a small river which was well
wooded along its banks with laj^e trees, particularly the
Jatoba {Hymenaa), In this river, as in all those within
this province, the electric eel {Gymnotus electricua) is very
common ; they are of all sizes, from a foot to six feet in
length, and are frequently caught on the lines which are
set for other fishes ; they are sometimes eaten, but not
generally, although their flesh is said to be very good.
Horses as well as men, by coming in contact with them
in the water, are not unfrequently thrown down by the
shock which they impart ; they are called by the inhabi-
tants Treme-treme. In rainy weather, those who fish in
these rivers often receive a shock, which is communicated
along the moisture upon the rod and line, when one ci
them happens to seize the hook. I saw one in a state d
captivity, about six feet long, which was so tame that
it would allow any one to put his hand upon it, and
even shde for its whole length through the fingers,
but if irritated in the smallest degree, by pinching it a
little, however slightly, it instantly communicated a
smart shock. A fatiguing journey of upwards of four
leagues, under a burning sun, and through a rather open
country, brought us to the Fazenda of Sape, the residence
of the owner of the Fazenda of Santa Brida, Lieut. Joao
Gomez Lagoeira. On our arrival, I was informed that
he had gone to visit a plantation a little way off, but was
expected home immediately. In an hour's time he made
his appearance, and on reading the letter I brought from
his friend the Vigario, he gave me a most hearty welcome.
It was my intention to have proceeded to the Villa de
NATIVIDADE TO ARRATAS. 855
Arrayas, which is four leagues distant, on the following
morning, but this our kind host would not listen to, and
it was only after the expiration of five days, that he con-
sented to our departure. In order that we might not
reach the Villa short of provisions, he sent to one of his
cattle farms for a fat ox, which was killed and dried for our
use, and he also obliged me to accept a load of farinha.
The Fazenda of Sape is situated at the foot of the
Serra de Santa Brida, near the entrance of a small valley,
which is enclosed on both sides by the surrounding lulls ;
the grounds belonging to it being well watered, and the
soil rich, they are well adapted for the cultivation of the
sugar cane, of which there are several large plantations.
The greater part of the cane is converted into rum, for which
there exists a greater demand than for sugar ; rice and
mandiocca also yield abundant crops. The whole of the
property which Lieut. Lagoeira possesses, covers an area of
about sixty-four square miles ; it is divided into several
Fazendas for the rearing of cattle, which amount to about
fourteen thousand head, the produce of which are princi-
pally sold to drovers, who take them down to Bahia.
He was originally a drover, but becoming a great favourite
of the former owner of the estate, he obtained his daugh-
ter in marriage; and the father dying soon after, the
entire management of the Fazenda fell into his hands.
Being a man of a mild and benevolent disposition, and
having received a good education, he is looked up to and
respected by the inhabitants of all the surrounding coun-
try. During our residence at this Fazenda, and the
several times I visited it during my residence at Arrayas,
I made several excursions in its neighbourhood. On
2a2
356 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
these occasions I was always accompanied by Senhor
Lagoeira, who was a keen sportsman; sometimes we
went to an upland grassy plain, thinly covered with
Velhzia and Biplusodon, the latter, a beautiful little
shrub, bearing a profusion of small rose-coloured flowers.
On these dry plains are found plenty of a kind of quail,
called Perdiz, which is a species of the genus Jinamus,
very little smaller than the partridge of Europe. Senhor
Lagoeira possessed several pointers, one of which always
accompanied us, but, not being well trained, many of
the birds escaped. Sometimes we visited the vaUey
behind the house, which in several places is swampy, and
abounds in a large species of palm, called Cabe^udo,*
the fruit of which forms the principal food of the large
blue Maccaw, which is very common in this district. In
the marshes of this vaUey the Boa Constrictor is often
met with of considerable size; it is not uncommon
throughout the whole province, particularly by the wooded
margins of lakes, marshes, and streams. Sometimes
they attain the enormous length of forty feet : the
largest I ever saw was at this place, but it was not alive.
Some weeks before our arrival at Sape, the favourite
riding horse of Senhor Lagoeira, which had been put out
to pasture not far from the house, could not be found,
although strict search was made for it all over the Ea-
zenda. Shortly after this, one of his vaqueiros, in going
through a wood by the side of a small river, saw an
enormous Boa, suspended in the fork of a tree which
hung over the water; it was dead, but had evidently
been floated down ahve by a recent flood, and being in
* Cocos capUatay Mart.
NATIVIDADE TO ARE AY AS. 357
an inert state, it had not been able to extricate itself &om
the fork before the waters fell. It was dragged out to
the open country by two horses, and was found to measure
thirty-seven feet in length ; on opening it, the bones of
a horse, in a somewhat broken condition, and the flesh in
a half digested state, were found within it, the bones of
the head being uninjured ; &om these circumstances we
concluded that the Boa had devoured the horse entire.
In all kinds of snakes, the capacity for swallowing is
prodigious, I have often seen one not thicker than my
thumb, swallow a frog nearly as large as my fist ; and I
once killed a Rattle-snake, about four feet long and of
no great thickness, which had swallowed not less than
three large frogs, one of which swelled out its sides to
nearly twice the thickness of the other parts, it was
still alive, and hopped away after it was liberated. I
have also seen a very slender snake that frequents the
roofs of houses, swallow an entire bat three times its own
thickness. If such be the case with these smaller kinds,
it is not to be wondered at that one thirty-seven feet
long should be able to swallow a horse, particularly when
it is known that, previously to doing so, it breaks the
bones of the animal by coiling itself round it, and after-
wards lubricates it with a slimy matter which it has the
power of secreting in its mouth.
. At other times we went into the forest that skirts the
base of the Serra, in which the larger trees consist of a
kind of Mimosa called Angica. On their branches were
to be seen numbers of a beautiful little Marmoset mon-
key, attracted thither by a gum which this tree secretes,
and of which they are very fond. Among the trees of
358 TEAVELS IN BRAZIL.
these forests were also seen some of the large howling
monkeys {Mycetes barbatus, Spix.), which are known in
Brazil by the names of Barbudo and Guariba ; they pos-
sess immensely muscular power in their long prehensile
tails, and even after being shot, and quite dead, they
hang suspended by them fixmi the branches. They gene-
rally appear in bands, making a disagreeable howling
noise, particularly at an early hour in the morning. A
little ring-tailed monkey {Ateles paniscus), is still more
abundant, and is more persecuted by the fazendeiro,
on account of the depredations it commits in his planta-
tions. The cane and Indian corn-fields are those which
they most frequently visit, whence they always carry off
their plunder to the woods. An old Negro assured me
he had often seen one of these animals carry with it
not less than three spikes of Indian com, one in its
mouth, another secured by one of its arms, and a third
held by its prehensile tail ; I confess however, that before
placing implicit faith in this tale, I must be a witness to
the fact. The moist and marshy Campos produce various
kinds of palm trees, which bear large clusters of small
nuts, greatly resembling miniature cocoa-nuts. When
ripe, these are covered externally with a fibrous oily sub-
stance, which has a sweetish taste, and constitutes the
favourite food of these little monkeys, who are no less
fond of the internal part of the nut, which contains a
substance similar to that found in cocoa-nuts. In several
parts of the interior I had been told, that to get at the
kernel, the shell being too hard to break with their teeth,
the monkeys carry the nuts to a rocky place, and then
break them with a stone^ and I even met with persons
NATIYIDADE TO ARRAY AS. 359
who assured me that they had watched them in such
places, through the bushes, and actually seen them en-
gaged in this operation. This account, like that of the
carrying away of Indian com, I always considered to be
fabulous till I arrived at Sape. In an excursion we made
over the Serra, immediately behind the Fazenda, where it
is composed of nearly bare, rugged limestone peaks, in
several almost inaccessible places we came upon large
heaps of the broken shells of nuts, generally on a bare
open part of the rock, and along with them a number of
roundish pieces of stone, larger than the fist, which had
evidently been employed in breaking the shells. These
Senhor Lagoeira told me, were the places resorted to by
the monkeys for the purpose of breaking the nuts col-
lected in the low grounds ; and that in his shooting ex-
cursions over the mountains, he has frequently seen them
take flight on his approach. That they both can, and
really do make use of a stone in order to break that which
is too hard for their teeth, I have frequently witnessed in
a little pet monkey that accompanied me on my journey ;
I obtained it in Piauhy, and it was the only one of the
many tame animals I carried with me, that reached Rio
de Janeiro aUve ; it was a female of the species we are
now speaking of, and ultimately became very gentle.
Jerry was the favourite with all, and indeed, in all re-
spects fared like ourselves; it became so fond of tea,
which it drank every morning and evening, that it would
not go to sleep without its usual allowance. Its favourite
food was farinha, boiled rice, and bananas, but scarcely
anything came amiss to it ; a raw egg was a choice morsel,
and on being given to it, it broke one end by gently
360 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
knocking it on the floor^ and completed the hole by
picking off the broken bits of shell, and putting in the
point of its long slender finger ; throwing back its head,
and holding the egg erect between its two hands, it soon
contrived to suck out the whole contents. Whenever
anything was given to it that was too hard to break
with its teeth, it always looked about for a stone^ and
lifting it with one hand, by repeated blows would attempt
to crack it ; if unsuccessful by these means, it would try
to find a larger stone, which it would hold in both its
hands, and, rising erect on its legs, would let it fall,
leaping backwards at the same time to avoid any injury
to its toes. I have often watched the means it employed
to obtain any small object that happened to be a little
beyond its reach ; if it could lay its hands upon a little
switch, or slender twig of any sort, it would stretch itself
out as far as its cord would allow, and continue working
at the object till it got it within its reach. These opera-
tions were certainly often very awkwardly performed,
but they were always interesting, from the amount of
reasoning power which the little animal exhibited, and
the perseverence with which its object was attained.
Jerry almost always rode on the back of a lai^ masti£P
dog that accompanied us, and in this manner performed
a journey of several thousand miles. These two animals
were greatly attached to each other, and it was often an
amusing sight to see them gamboling together. Before
starting, the dog used to go, every morning, to the place
where the little monkey was tied, and wait till it was put
upon its back, and its cord made fast to his collar. In
travelling, it was not at all particular as to whether its
NATIVIDADB TO ABRAYAS. 861
face was towards the head or tail of the charger/ except
in going down hill, when its face was turned forwards,
and to prevent itself fix)m slipping over the dog's head,
it made use of its long prehensile tail as a crupper, by
coiling the extremity round the root of that of the dog. I
had determined to bring Jerry with me to England, but,
in taking it with me to the Organ Mountains, after my
arrival at Bio de Janeiro, much to my grief, it disap-
peared one night, and was never afterwards heard of; it
was stolen, I have no doubt, by one of the slaves, and
sold somewhere for a mere trifle.
A few days before we arrived at Sape, one of the slaves
caught a young male monkey of this species. A number
of these little animals had come to pay a visit to a plan-
tation of Indian com, several of them were females that
carried their young on their backs, which they seldom
quit till they are able to provide for themselves ; being
pursued by some slaves, in the heat of the retreat, this
young one was thrown from its mother's back, and made
prisoner, and was presented to me by Senhor Lagoeira
as a companion for Jerry. I little expected it would pay
any attention to the young one, but no sooner were they
put beside each other, than the little one, fancying no
doubt it had found its mother, crept up and secured itself
on Jerry's back, and apparently seemed quite happy*
Jerry instead of being ill pleased with this intrusion,
became so much attached to it, that she would not allow
any oiie to touch the young one ; and seemed to have all
the aflection for it as if it had been her own. Several
times I observed that when it came off her back to amuse
itself on the ground, and vras about to get out of her
862 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
reach^ she would catch it by the tail and draw it back.
During the first few days they were together, her breast
became inflamed by the attempt the young one made to
obtaui milk from them ; it seldom left her back, remaining
there both day and night. It was amusing to see her
cleaning it of fleas by laying it down on the ground,
turning over its long hair, layer by layer, and catching
between her fore-finger and thumb the insects as they
made their appearance and then eating them ; when they
were difficult to take in this manner, she would catch
them between her teeth at once. During this operation
the little one would lie as quiet as if it had been sleeping.
It only lived a few weeks after we reached Arrayas, and
I was surprised that although so much attachment was
shown to it by the old one while it was alive, not the
least symptom of grief was exhibited at its death.
In the densest parts of the forests near Sape, the Jaat-
tinga {Penelope Jacutinga, Spix), the fine large game bird
which is so common in the forests of the Organ Moun-
tains, was not unfrequently encountered in our walks,
and brought home as trophies. The mountains here, as
already mentioned, are composed entirely of a compact
primitive limestone, similar to that existing at Natividade,
and which I afterwards found extending many leagues
to the southward. The lower parts of these mountains
are tolerably well wooded, but the upper parts consisting
of sharp rugged peaks, surrounded by broken masses at
their bases, are nearly destitute of vegetation, the only
plants found here being a small wild Fig tree, a large
prickly CaduSy a shrubby Trixia, a small Begonia^ and a
' stinging Loaaa. The heaps of broken rocks which exist
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS. 868
around the bases of the peaks, are frequented by vast
numbers of a small animal, greatly resembling a rabbit,
and about the same size ; it is allied to the Guinea-pig,
and its flesh, which is white, is very good to eat. It is
the Kerodon moco of naturalists, and is well known to
the inhabitants by the name of Moco.
It was on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of February,
that we left Sape for Arrayas, and after travelling two
rather long leagues, we reached the foot of the Serra, at
the point of ascent to the upland plain in which the Villa
is situated Here we bivouacked for the night, slinging
our hammocks among some trees, by the side of a little
stream which came from the mountains. On this jomney,
alter leaving the more densely wooded tract which sur*"
rounds Sape, we entered a wide open valley, situated
between the Serra de Santa Brida and that of Buriti,
which gradually became narrower until the two Serras
imited at the place of our encampment. This valley is
very thinly wooded, except along the margins of the many
small streams which intersect it, and which join to form
a small river that flows through its centre. I found this
locaUty particularly rich in botanical productions, as it
abounded with elegant flowering shrubs and trees, such
as JPleromay Crotalaria, Bauhinia^ Dtplusodon, Vbchy^
sia, Kielmeyera, 8fc. The ascent of the Serra, which
was accomplished on the following morning, we found
both long and tiresome, and very rocky. From the top
of the Serra to the Villa, which is a league and a half
distant, the road is of gentle declivity. I carried a letter
from Senhor Lagoeira to a schoolmaster, who in a short
time found an empty house for our accommodation, of a
864 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Veiy inferior description, and little calculated to keep out
either wind or rain, it was, however, the only one that
could be obtained. Here we remained for about a week,
until another, which on our arrival was occupied by a
travelling merchant, became empty; it was far superior,
and now fell to our use. As the season of rain was not
yet nearly terminated, I remained in Arrayas nearly two
months, during which time I amassed a splendid collection
of the curious and beautiful plants, which are peculiar to
the upland grassy campos of the interior of Brazfl.
The Villa de Arrayas is very pleasantly situated in a
hollow on the table-land of the Serra ; it is surrounded
nearly on all sides by low grassy hills, which are but
thinly wooded with small trees and bushes. The highest
of these hills are towards the N.E. side of the town, and
from behind them flows a beautiful stream that at all
seasons suppUes it with water ; the inhabitants have a
saying, that the place has neither bad water nor good
roads (em Arrayas nao tem agoa roim, nem caminhos
bons), and this is truly its characteristic. The town is of
very small size, the population not exceeding three hun-
dred inhabitants, great and small. Here, as in the other
towns in the interior, many of the houses belong to the
fazendeiros, who only occupy them during the festas;
they are nearly all arranged before a lai^ square, on
the east side of which the only church is situated. On
our arrival I was surprised to observe a house with glazed
windows, a rare sight in the interior of Brazil, but on
nearer inspection, I found that the place of glass was sup*
plied by plates of talc, which is found abundantly in this
neighbourhood.
NATIVIDADE TO ARRATAS. 865
During my stay among the people of this place I
found them universally kind and obliging, so far as their
limited means permitted, for the greater part are very
poor ; in most instances, however, this poverty is occa-
sioned by their own indolence. It was with great diffi-
culty that we could purchase any thing in the shape of
provisions, and it is still a mystery to me, how the great
mass of the inhabitants contrive to live ; had it not been
for the kindness of my good Mend Senhor Lagoeira, who
again sent me supplies of provisions, we should often
have been in a state of starvation. Notwithstanding the
smallness and the poverty of the place, it contains two
priests, neither of whom seemed to be the worst fed of
the community. There are three public schools, two
of which are elementary, one for boys, the other for
girls ; in the third, Latin only is taught. Here, as in all
the other towns and villages in the interior, the teachers
are paid by government, and, consequently, the education
of all classes is gratuitous ; notwithstanding this, I was
surprised to see the small niunber who take advantage of
so favourable an opportunity for the education of their
children. Those who live in the country, aud who send
their children to school, are obliged to board them in the
town, which is generally looked upon as a great grievance.
Here, as elsewhere, I met with very few who have a taste
for reading, and generally, the only books they possess,
are some small volumes of orisons. Even the libraries of
the priests are confined to a few religious and classical
works ; and among these, a bible is rarely to be met with,
a mere abridgment of it supplying its place.
The rocks which compose the mountain range on which
366 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the town of Axrayas stands, all belong to the primary
strata; these are nearly vertical, the little inclination
which they present, being towards the east, that being the
direction of the highest part of the Serra. The most
westerly of these rocks have an arenaceous schistose
structure, and these overlay a very compact greyish-
coloured stratified rock, very much resembling gneiss, in
which are imbedded innumerable rounded pebbles of gra-
nite and quartz, of all sizes fix)m one to three or four
inches, and which is probably equivalent to the grau-
wacke rocks of the old world. The lime-stone of which
the western side of the Serra is composed at Sape and
Natividade, is not found here, but I again met with it
to the south ; in none of the rocks did I observe any
appearance of organic remains.
From its elevated situation, the climate of Arrayas is
much cooler than in the plains below, and the rains are
both heavier and of longer duration ; these always come
from the N.E., beginning in October or November, and
continuing till the month of April, or until a regular S.E.
wind sets in, which is the first signal that the diy season
has commenced. The rearing of cattle is the most ordi-
nary occupation of the fazendeiros, their cattle meeting
with a ready sale in the Bahia market, but they generally
also cultivate a little sugar cane, principally for the manu-
facture of rum, which is extensively used among all classes
of society, and of course meets with a good sale. Man-
diocca, rice, and Indian com, are also cultivated, both for
family use, and for sale in the Villa. All these produc-
tions, however, are grown in the low countries, princi-
pally along the foot of the Serra ; around the Villa itself
NATIVIDADE TO ARRATAS. 867
little or nothing is cultivated, notwithstanding that the
soil in many places is favourable for small plantations ;
both the climate and soil seem well adapted for the pro-
duction of coffee, as the few small plantations that have
been attempted, yield good crops, without any care having
been bestowed on them; in the garden belonging to
the house in which I lived, there were about one hundred
and fifty coffee plants, which in the end of April were
loaded as heavily with fruit, as any I have seen in the
large plantations in the province of Kio de Janeiro. This
article, however, can never be cultivated here to any
extent, with a view to exportation, on account of its great
distance from the coast: The Rio Tocantins offers the
only water conveyance, and that as yet is only navigable
for canoes of small burden. There are only two shop-
keepers in the ViUa, both of whom bring their goods
from Eio de Janeiro. They go there once in two or three
years, the entire journey generally occupying from six to
to nine months.
The diseases of this district are very similar to those
which are common in the more northern part of the pro-
vince. In the low country, which during the rainy sea-
son, is full of marshes and swamps, intermittent fevers
are prevalent, and are often fatal to those coming from
the upland districts. As very few only can afford to
purchase sulphate of quinine, the general mode of curing
these fevers, is by emetics and purgatives, and occa-
siondly by bitter barks, obtained from the trees in the
woods ; of these one most commonly used, is procured
from the Strychnos pseudochina of St. Hilaire, a smaU
tree which grows on the upland campos. A strong infusion
368 TEAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of coffee with a mixture of salt is also sometimes admi-
nistered. Though the inhabitants of the plains are con-
stantly subject to the fever, they seldom die of the disease
itself, but the effects which it produces on the constitution
after a long series of yearly attacks, ultimately cut off a
great many. The principal organ that becomes affected, is
the spleen, which is sometimes so much enlarged, that it
nearly fills the whole abdominal cavity ; when travelling
in these districts, we seldom arrived at a house where
I was not consulted respecting enlargements of this
organ. The liver is more rarely affected, its affections
are generally produced, by intemperance in eating and
drinking, and by the constant and immoderate use of to-
bacco. In the ViUa intermittent fevers are unknown, in
consequence of its being situated abovethe region of mi-
asmata, unless they appear in cases where the infection
has been imbibed below. The traveller before aUuded tp,
who gave up the house to our use, left behind him an
Indian servant, with no one to attend to him, and whom
I found almost dead from the attacks of a severe tertian
ague, but who soon recovered after being properly treated.
This poor fellow was a native of the banks of the Amazon,
and he remained in my service until my arrival in Bio de
Janeiro. These fevers very often lose their intermittent
character, and assume a malignant remittent nature.
The prevailing diseases in the Villa are ophthalmia, colds,
inflamatory complaints, rheumatism, and dyspepsia;
paralysis also is common ; and as a preventive, nearly
all the people wear a thick twisted iron ring, made on the
Saturday of the passion week (sexta feira da Paixao), and
blessed by a priest. Goitre is common, but not nearly
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAY AS. 869
SO much so as in Natividade and Conceigao. Here they
attribute it to the coldness of the water they use for
drinking:
The country around Axrayas affords many prospects
as highly picturesque and pleasing to the eye of a com-
mon observer as to that of the naturalist ; to the latter,
however, it offers a double charm, owing to the great
variety in the objects which such diversity of soil and
situation present for his investigations. My excursions
in various directions yielded me upwards of three hun-
dred species of plants, all different from any I had else-
where collected. The dry upland Campos afforded nume-
rous grasses, which are nearly all coarse and rank, and
not well suited for pasturage ; these grasses do not form
a close turf, as in Europe, but grow in scattered tufts,
leaving greater intervals of bare soil than the amount of
surface actually covered by them ; this, however, is not
apparent at first sight, for the culm is generally long, and
when ripe, and seen from a distance, the Campos appear
as if covered with wheat or oats. Many flowering shrubs
and beautiful herbaceous plants are found growing among
the grasses ; of the former Dipltisodon and Kielmeyera^
are the most ornamental ; one of the latter, {Kidmeyera
roseay Mart.) grows in bushes about a foot and a half
high, and produces numerous large rose-coloured flowers,
from which it has obtained the name of Rosa do Campo.
Of the herbaceous plants of these tracts, the most
beautiful are those belonging to the Gentian tribe. A
species of Lmanthus produces large blue bell-shaped
blossoms, not unlike those of the Bi^talis in shape ;
and towards the end of the rainy season, the flelds
2b
370 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
are gaily adorned with two elegant species of CaUopimna ;
one of these is more abundant than the other, and
being intensely bitter, is used medicinally as gentian
by the inhabitants of Goyaz, who collect it when in full
flower, dried bundles of it being seen hanging up in
almost every house ; it is used, in infusion, in dyspepsia,
and also to strengthen those who are recovering from
fever. The trees of the upland Campos are mostly small,
consisting chiefly of the beautiful Sicupira {Cammilobium
polygal€efU>Tum)y Qualea grcmdifioray and Q. parvijlora^ a
Vbchysia, Salvertia convaUariodoray a PanaWy an Alter-
tinia, a Lqfoensia, two species of Cecrqpia, the Mangaba
do Mono, the Cashew, and several species of Mimosa.
Towards the latter end of the month of April, the
whole north of the province of Goyaz was thrown into a
state of alarm, in consequence of information received
from San Pedro de Alcantara, a small town in the ex-
treme north of the province, near the banks of the Rio
Tocantins, that a party of the troops of Raimundo Gomiea,
and the Balaio had crossed over from Fastos Boms in the
province of Maranham, to Alcantara, and taken it by
force ; and that although the greater part of the more
respectable inhabitants had fled to the woods, a number
had been killed and robbed, while others had joined the
rebels. Notice arrived at the same time that all the
canoes which had descended from the central parts of the
province towards Para (April being the month in which
they generally start), were taken, the owners killed, and
the hides with which they were laden thrown into the
river. It was immediately surmised that the canoes were
captured for no other purpose than to ascend the river in
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS. 371
order to devastate the towns and villages in this quarter,
in the same manner as they had attacked those below.
On the 22nd of April I was called to a Fazenda about
three leagues to the north of Arrayas, to visit a young
lady, who was indisposed. When I arrived there, her
father had just received a letter fix)m the Vigario of Can-
ceicao, stating that a few days before, the robbers had
reached Porto Imperial, a village on the Tocantins, only
three days journey fix)m the Villa de Natividade, and that
the inhabitants of the latter place were flying to the woods
in all directions. On my return to Arrayas, he sent by
me a letter to the President of the Camara Municipal,
containing the above information, who immediately called
a meeting of the principal inhabitants to take into consi-
deration what steps were necessary in this exigency ; it
was agreed that the National Guard should be called out
by beat of drum, but although the town possessed such
an instrument, unfortunately there was no one able to use
it, until one of my men, a black from Natividade, asked
my leave to offer his services. Accordingly the drum
beat to arms round the town, but not more than half a
dozen men made their appearance. Next morning they
were again called out, when about a dozen assembled,
nearly all without arms. These few were immediately
put under drill by a Fazendeiro who happened to be in
town, and who although bearing the rank of ensign in the
National Guards, appeared quite ignorant of the task he
undertook. The Juiz de Paz was immediately summoned
from his Fazenda, and expresses sent off to the city of
Goyaz to inform the President, as well as the intermediate
towns ; orders were likewise issued to the different parts
2b2
372 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of the district to assemble the whole of the National Guard.
In the course of four or five days above a hundred and
forty men appeared in the Villa, the greater part of them
armed with their own fowling pieces, but there were no
muskets, gunpowder or ball in the place. Those who had
no guns, armed themselves with their long knives, firmly
tied to the ends of short poles ; like the troops of Piauhy,
they formed the most motley group imaginable, being of
all colours, of all sizes, and without any uniform. They
remained under drill for about eight days, at the expira-
tion of which time, hews arrived that the previous informa-
tion had been premature, and that the rebels amounting
to about five hundred men, all well armed, were still in
Alcantara. Immediately on receiving this information, the
Juiz de Paz dismissed his troops, with the exception
of ten men, kept as a guard for the protection of the
Villa. In proportion to the number of inhabitants which
this district contains, the number of National Guards
assembled on this occasion, was greater than in any of the
districts of Piauhy ; but I had doubts whether one half
of them would have responded to a second call, as these
poor fellows who had been suddenly called away from
their houses and families, most of them after a long
journey which they had to make on foot, were not satis-
fied with the treatment they received from the authorities,
for they found on their arrival, that no accommodation had
been provided for them, except an old house, the walls of
which were raised but little above the ground, where,
more like pigs than human beings, they were all stowed
together. Had the weather been fine, the greater part of
them would have preferred sleeping in the open air, but
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS. 373
unfortunately much rain, at this time, fell at night. More-
over, during the whole of the period they remained in the
Villa, not one sixpence was expended in procuring provi-
sions for them, and had it not been for the charity of some
of the inhabitants, they would certainly have either starved,
or been driven to take food by force. When some of them
applied to the Juiz de Paz for provisions, he told them he
did not like to appropriate any of the funds belonging to
the town to such a purpose, as these were absolutely re-
quired for the erection of a new jail, which they had in con-
templation ! A few hours before their dismissal, they mus-
tered in the church to hear mass, after which the Juiz de
Paz gave each of them a glass of rum, and this was all the
remuneration they received for their services. When the
news first arrived that the rebels had reached Porto Im-
perial, several of the inhabitants of the Villa, who had
previously boasted of the feats of bravery they would per-
form, should the enemy advance as far south as Arrayas,
were the first to pack up their valuables, in readiness to
decamp on a short notice ; and none of the women were
now to be seen with the rings on their fingers, or in their
ears, or with the gold chains which they usually wear
round their necks.
The proper season for travelling having now arrived, I
became desirous to resume my journey, so as to reach Rio
de Janeiro, if possible, before the setting in of the next
rains. Thanks to the kindness of my excellent friend
Senhor Lagoeira, who supplied me with the greater por-
tion of our provisions fi'om his Fazenda, my funds had
not been much encroached on during our stay in Arrayas.
By my profession, I gained even more than was expended,
874 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
by which I was thus enabled to add four fine horses to
my troop, which now therefore amounted to sixteen in
all. On the 4th of May I went to Sape, to take leave of
my friend, and to bring back my horses which had been
pasturing there since our arrival; knowing that I was
about to leave, he had prepared an ox, and other articles
of provision for our journey. The parting with this truly
good person, with whom, in a strange land I had lived on
terms of intimacy, from whom I had experienced kindness
that I could never have expected, and with whom I had
no earthly chance of again meeting, produced a feeling of
depression which hung over me many days after my de-
parture.
CHAPTER XI.
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO
Departure from Airayas — ^Reasons for preferring the Route along the
Serra Geral — Passes Gamelleira-^-Bonita — Reaches San Domingo —
San Joao — San Bernardo— Curious Fact respecting the Rio San
Bernardo— Passes Boa Vista — ^Country consists of very deyated
table-lands — Its Natural Productions — ^Arrives at Capella da Posse
— San Pedro — San Antonio — ^Dores — Riachao— Animals greatly tor-
mented by large Bats — ^Habits of these Vampires — ^Reaches San
Vidal — ^Flight of Locusts — Passes Nossa Senhora d'Abbadia —
Campinhas — Pasquada — San Francisco — Crosses River Caiynhenha
and enters the Province of Minas Geraes — Country described — Habits
of the great Ant-eater — ^Passes Capao de Casca — ^Descent of the
Serra das Araras — ^reaches San Jos^ — ^Rio Claro— Boquerao — Santa
Maria — ^Espigao — ^Tabooa — San Miguel — Crosses Raver Urucuya —
Passes Riachao— Arrives at San Romao— Town Described — ^Its
Population — Habits of the People — ^Rio de San Francisco— Descrip-
tion of the dijfferent varieties of the Sabnon tribe found in it.
The necessary preparations having been completed, we
started from Arrayas on the afternoon of the 6th. of May,
my object being now to reach the Villa de San Romao on
. the Bio de San Francisco ; but instead of proceeding
southward along the western base of the Serra Geral as
far as the parallel of San Romao, the road usually fol-
lowed by the people of the coimtry, I preferred the less
frequented, and consequently the more difficult route,
that leads along the Serra itself. My reasons for adopting
376 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
this plan were, in the first place^ because the low countiy to
the westward, had abeady been travelled over by Pohl and
Burchell, and partly by Spix and Martins ; and secondly,
because I always preferred elevated regions, on account of
the greater diversity of vegetation met with in such situa-
tions. We were accompanied for about half a league
out of the Villa, by a few of the more respectable inhabi-
tants. Shortly after the return of my friends, we des-
cended the Serra on which the Villa stands, by a very
rocky path, but this descent was not nearly so great as the
ascent on the opposite side, and although we now found
ourselves in a comparatively flat country, we were still at
a considerable elevation. After proceeding half a league,
we encamped for the night under some trees by the side
of a small stream ; here we slung our hammocks, but soon
after midnight the cold became so great, from the wind
that blew down from the Serra, that we could not sleep ;
and long before daybreak we were glad to rise, and seat
ourselves round a large fire, such as we always made it a
rule to bum every night we slept in the open air.
A journey of four long leagues on the following day,
brought us to the Fazenda Gamelleira, where we passed
the night under a large fig-tree, there being only one
small house belonging to the Vaqueiro. This Eazenda
belongs to a widow lady, Dona Maria Rosa, at whose
house we spent some time during the middle of the day.
Soon after leaving Gamelleira, we entered a virgin forest
quite unlike any I had seen since leaving the Province of
Bio de Janeiro, and which I little expected to find in the
district where we were now travelling. It contained many
large trees, covered with numerous parasitical Orchidea.
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 377
The forest was about a league in length, after which
we entered upon an elevated thinly wooded tract, where
we halted to breakfast under a beautiful shady wild-
fig (Gamelleira). In the afternoon we accomplished
another two leagues, and passed the night at a Fazenda
called Mange, the road leading over a thinly wooded
Chapada.
On the morning of the 9th, after a ride of a league and
a half, we rested on the banks of a small brook under a
group of Buriti palms. The first part of our journey we
found to be hiUy and stony, with intermediate well
wooded low tracts, but the latter part of it was through
a most beautiful country of fine open grassy Campos, with
occasional large wide-spreading trees. In the afternoon,
we travelled a league and a half through a country even
still more beautiful than that through which we passed
in the morning. We ascended a slight elevation that
led to a flat Chapada, rather thinly wooded, abounding in
a rank kind of grass, a species of Andropoffon, growing in
large isolated tufts, and about three feet high, after pass-
ing through which, we entered an open Campo country.
From the tennination of the Chapada, there is a fine view
of a large Serra, which runs from north to south, but not
of great elevation and almost perfectly level as far as the
eye could reach ; this is the western side of the most
elevated portipn of the Serra Geral. It was not till some
time after sun set, that we could find a convenient place
for encamping, but the moon shone brightly, and we
proceeded without inconvenience. The place where we
halted at last, was under some small trees near the side
of a wood, but we little anticipated the plague we were
378 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
about to encounter ; in half an hour we discovered that it
was swarming with the Carrapato Miudo, and so nume-
rous that our bodies were soon covered with them. As
it was now too late to shift our quarters, our only remedy
was to set fire to the grass around our encampment.
This being done we washed ourselves with a strong infu-
sion of tobacco, which destroyed the Carrapato, and then
with tepid water to prevent any bad effects from the
tobacco, a remedy usually adopted by the Vaqueiros
whose occupations lead them dally into places infested
by these annoying insects. Having thus secured oiu>
selves from any further attacks from this pest, we slept
soundly, and resuming our journey early next morning,
we travelled three leagues and a half through a flat sandy
bushy country, reaching about mid-day a small Fazenda
called Bonita, where we remained tiU the following day.
The small house belonging to the proprietor of this Fa-
zenda is situated on a shght eminence, which commands
a fine view of the surrounding flat country. He formerly
lived in a somewhat lower spot at a little distance, but as
his family suffered constantly from ague, he removed to
this place, since which they have been free from this
complaint, although the difference of elevation is not
more than a hundred feet.
In the morning the Juiz de Paz of the district, who
lives about two leagues to the north of Bonita, passed,
and learning that we were strang^*s, and about to visit
the Arraial de San Domingo, a little village two and a
half leagues distant, he told me that he was on the way
thither himself, and that his own house, which he only
occupied during festa times, was much at my service
ARB.AYA8 TO SAN ROMAO. 879
dnring my stay there. The distance betweeen Bonita
and the village is said to be two and a half leagues, but
they proved to be very long ones. The road till within
a short distance of the viQage is pretty level, and generally
sandy, but it afterwards became more hilly and stony ;
it leads southward along the base of the Serra Geral, but
generally a mile or more to the west of it ; the top of
the Serra still continued to be level with a precipitous face»
the rock being of a reddish-yellow. Shortly after leaving
Bonita, an elevated pyramidal peak of the same elevation
as the Serra, is descried to the S.E. presenting a remark-
able resemblance to some enormous work of art ; it
stands about a quarter of a mile distant from the Serra,
and is placed upon a broad regular base.
We reached the Arraial de San Domingo a Uttle bci-
fore sunset, and took up our residence in the house of
the Juiz de Paz. Like the rest of the houses it was built
of large unbumed bricks, vnth the partitions formed of
wicker-work, plastered with clay, smoothed by the hand of
the operator, and ornamented all over with the strokes
left by his fingers. The village stands among some small
hiUs about a league to the west of the Serra Geral ; it is
very insignificant, containing only about forty houses, a
great many of which, belonging to the Fazendeiros, are
untenanted, except during the festas; a small limpid
stream nms near it, which flows with great rapidity, but
it contams no fish, as they are prevented from ascending
by a cataract which exists at some distance below the
village. We remained here two days, endeavouring to
hire another man to assist in the management of my
troop, but I had much difficulty in finding one, not-
380 TRAVELS IN BRAZfl.
withstanding there were plenty of young men idling
about, who had no disposition to work for a livelihood.
It is a common saying in these parts, that for every ten
who work, there are ninety who do nothing, and maintain
a wretched existence by hunting, and robbing their more
industrious neighbours. Having heard of a man who
had already made a journey to Minas Geraes, I sent for
him, and found him wiUing to engage with me; but,
just as we were concluding the agreement, his wife came
up and abused me violently for enticing her husband
away from her ; she was a large mulatto woman, old and
ugly, and what very much surprised me, a slave, while
he, who was also a mulatto, was a freeman, and consi-
derably younger. They had done Uttle but quarrel during
the six years they had been married, and he seemed now
determined to get rid of her ; he therefore told her, that
though she had governed him for a very long time, she
should do so no longer. We could not, however, get rid
of her, till he promised that he would not remain more
than a month with me ; when that time expired, he did
not feel inclined to return, but went on with me to the
Gold District, when he got employment at one of the
mines.
Everything being at length arranged, we started early
on the morning of the 14 th, and travelling southward,
still keeping on the eastern side of the Serra, we arrived,
on the forenoon of the following day, at a Fazenda called
San Joao, and as our provisions were nearly exhausted,
I determined to obtain a fresh supply here, if possible.
On making enquiries of the owner, he informed me that
as he had no cattle near the house, it would be two or
ARRAY A3 TO SAN ROMAO. 381
three days, at least, before a cow or ox could be brought
from a pasture, which was seven leagues distant ; to this
of course I was obliged to consent, as we were now in a
country where provisions were not easily obtained. In
the afternoon I went down to bathe in a Uttle stream
which passes at some distance from the house, and, seeing
a plant in flower among some bushes on the bank, I
went in among them to collect it, but when I came out
again, I found that I had paid dearly for so doing, as my
trowsers and shirt, as well as my hands and legs, which
were bare, were thickly covered with small Carrapatos.
As no time was to be lost I again took ofi'my clothes and
rushed into the stream ; it caused me much trouble to
clear my shirt and trowsers of these annoying insects, and
I afterwards took great care not to walk much about in
this neighbourhood. It was not till the morning of the
second day that a fine fat cow was brought, and although
killed immediately, the flesh was not dry enough to be
packed for two days more. The owner of the Fazenda,
Captain Faustino Vieira, we found to be of a very nig-
gardly disposition, and much less hospitable than the
Fazendeiros I had generally met with in this province.
Although his house was a good aud commodious one, we
had during our stay, to put up in an open shed, which
served to cover the sugar mill belonging to the farm.
He was most exorbitant in his charges for all we had
purchased of him, requiring one half more for the cow
than its usual price in that part of the country; he
charged in like manner for the Farinha, and the Indian
com for my horses,
On the day we left San Joao, we made a journey of
382 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
three long leagues, and put up for the night at the
Fazenda de San Bernardo. During the afternoon, one of
the horses in passing between two trees broke his pack-*
saddle, and it was necessary to remain here half the
following day, in order to get it properly repaired ; in the
interval, I went out to botanize near a large marsh,
through which a small river runs. This river, as well as
several others about the same size, which we passed both
before and after we left San Joao, lose themselves beneath
a low Serra of limestone which runs parallel with the
Serra Geral, and nearly two leagues to the west of it.
These rivers take their rise in the Serra Geral, and are
said to enter beneath the range before mentioned, where
they all unite, and at the distance of three leagues still
further to the westward, they again appear above ground
in one stream, forming the Rio de San Bernardo, which
afterwards falls into the Rio Parannan. A person be-
longing to the Fazenda, took me down to see the spot
where the stream that passes this place, disappears in the
mountains, when contrary to what I expected, I found
that it did not enter by an open cave, but by an aperture,
far below the surface of the water, forming what the Bra-
zilians call a Soumidouro ; the current here runs with
considerable rapidity, strikes against the nearly perpen-
dicular face of the limestone rock, and forming a few
whirlpools, is lost in the gulf below. By these streams
the remains of many of the animals of the country must
be entombed in the deep caverns through which they
pass, and it is not impossible that such deposits may at
some distant epoch, form themes for the speculation df
future geologists. As it was late in the afternoon before
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 383
we left San Bernardo, we could not complete more than
a league of our journey, through a country very similar
to that on the other side of San Domingo. Next morn-
ing after accomphshing a very long league and a half, we
rested to breakfast at a httle habitation called Boa Vista,
but inappropriately named, for not only is it situated in a
hollow, but is surrounded by trees. The house had a
miserable appearance, but the old woman to whom it
belonged offered us much civihty and attention, and
gave us some sweet limes, which we relished exceedingly
after our exposure to a burning sun. The country here
is of an undulating character, and rather thickly wooded,
though the soil is poor, being very sandy. During these
jounieys, my collections were much increased by the addi-
tion of naany fine shrubs and herbaceous plants, the dry
sandy Campos abounding with numerous species of Di-
plnsodofiy elegant httle shrubs with rose-coloured flowers ;
while the moister portions afforded a rich harvest of
curious varieties oi Eriocatdony having httle resemblance to
our humble British species, being tall and branched, and
very remarkable from the large white balls of flowers, which
eoxAi branch bears at its extremity. In the afternoon we
made another journey of two leagues, the road being
through a hilly elevated country, in which we met v«dth
several gradual ascents, that always terminate in flat
sandy thinly wooded Chapadas. After travelHng about
a league, we came very close to the Serra Geral, and
continued our journey along its base, till we reached a
convenient spot where we encamped under some trees
by the side of an open swamp, in the centre of which grew
a large grove of Bimti palms ; we had been gradually
384 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
ascending, for we were not more than two hundred feet
below the summit of the Serra ; our elevated situation,
and a smart breeze which began to blow after sun-set,
caused us to pass a colder night than we had done for
some time.
Another journey of two long leagues, brought us
about mid-day to the httle village of Capella da Posse, our
route leading us through a beautiful up-land country.
It was for the most part of an undulating character, the
road sometimes passing through large open Campos, con-
taining small clusters of Buriti and other palms, at others
through densely wooded hollows, and not un&equently
along the bushy margins of open sandy marshes, abound-
ing in curious Eriocatdons. Within a few miles of Posse,
the mountain range takes a sweep to the S.E., and the
road consequently diverges from the Serra, to gain the
village, laying to the southward, which is surrounded by
a flat, arid, and very sandy country, covered with a few
scattered stunted trees and shrubs. The village we found
to be of the most miserable description ; it contains about
a dozen small houses, and a very little church, the place
is so poor, that it cannot support a priest, for one who
came to settle among the inhabitants, about a year before
our visit, left because they either could not, or would
not, pay him more than half the salary he was promised.
It was late on the following day before we left, as I
remained to arrange the large collection made between
San Domingo and this place. Hitherto we had avoided
travelling along the upper part of the Serra, on account of
the difficulty of finding water, but beyond Posse, the com-
paratively flat sandy country merges into the mountain
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 385
range, and our course was therefore now in a S.E. direction.
On the second night after our departure, we arrived at a
little hamlet, about five leagues distant, called San Pedro ;
it consists of about half a dozen small houses, and a little
chapel. We passed the night in an open shed, between
two of the houses, and on rising in the morning, Mr.
Walker missed some of his clothes ; it was very fortu-
nate that nothing else had disappeared, for we were
afterwards informed that the whole place was little better
than a nest of robbers. The Fazendeiro who gave us
this information, said that whenever he had occasion to
sleep there, and had money with him, he always hid it in
the bush at some distance until the morning. During the
whole of my travels, I always avoided sleeping in the open
air, if possible, whenever two or three houses were seen
together, otherwise some little thing or other was always
sure to disappear ; indeed, in the dry season, and where the
country suited, it was always preferable to encamp at some
distance from any habitation, especially in the thinly in-
habited districts. Next day we only travelled a league
and a half, and passed the afternoon and night at the
Fazenda de San Antonio, the owner of which was a
coloured man, and very hospitable. Leaving this place
early in the morning, a journey of two very long leagues
brought us to the next Fazenda, called Dores, but we
found that for some time it had been deserted by its in-
habitants. The country through which we passed, on
our journey there, was nearly one continued elevated
sandy plain, with occasional large open marshy Campos,
but these only existed where any slight declivity was
seen. About half way we came to a long narrow valley,
2c
386 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
in the centre of which was observed a small and very
deep river, with a rapid current, over which we passed
by a wretched old bridge, formed of the tnmks of two
trees, traversed by smaller branches very loosely laid toge-
ther, so that I was glad when I saw the last of the horses
safely across, on account of the great risk of their feet
slipping between the cross sticks. In the afternoon, we
went a league further to a Fazenda, called Picada, which,
like most of the houses we had lately seen was very
small; it belonged to a mulatto, with a family, who
seemed to be in no very affluent circumstances. Among
the numerous plants collected on these joumies, was
one, the root of which is celebrated by the inhabitants of
these districts, as a cure for the bite of the Rattle-Snake.
It is a suffiuticose species of IHods, about four feet high,
with rather large clammy leaves ; the root has a musky
smell, and it is even said that the smeU alone is sufficient
to kill a snake ; they call it Kaiz da cobra.
We started from Picada early, but did not proceed
more than a league, being detained on the road by an
accident that befell the Indian guide I had hired at
Arrayas : he was walking behind another of the men,
who was mounted on a spirited young horse, when on a
sudden, probably from the sting of some insect, it started,
casting up its heels in the air, and after striking the poor
Indian a violent blow in the stomach, set off at full gallop,
throwing its rider, but without doing him any harm. I sent
forward the troop in charge of Mr. Walker, while I re-
mained behind to attend to the Indian who seemed to be
in much pain ; he was greatly relieved by a little water
for which we had to wait a long time before it could be
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 387
procured, he was then placed on a quiet horse, and led
slowly to the nearest house, two miles distant, but by the
time we reached it, he became so weak, that his pulse
was scarcely sensible. After giving him a cup of strong
warm tea, the only stimulus that was to be procured, his
pulse rose considerably, when I bled him in the arm,
which TeUeved him greatly ; and he gradually recovered,
so that we were enabled to resume our journey in the
afternoon of the following day.
We stopped at a place called Riachao, which consisted
of three houses, about a quarter of a mile distant from each
other. Here, for the third time only since we left Arrayas,
I was able to purchase some Indian com for my horses,
they stood in much need of it, as the pastures were nowvery
poor, consisting of coarse dry innutritions grasses. The
inhabitants of this district are so desperately lazy that they
scarcely plant sufficient of any thing for their own use,
notwithstanding the unUmited extent of ground that each
family possesses. For several nights before we reached
this place, the horses were greatly annoyed by bats, which
are very numerous on this Serra, where they inhabit the.
caves in the limestone rocks ; during the night we re-
mained at Riachao, the whole of my troop suffered more
from their attacks, than they had done before on any pre-
vious occasion. All exhibited one or more streams of
clotted blood on their shoulders and backs, which had run
from the wounds made by these animals, and from which
they had sucked their fill of blood ; when a small sore
exists on the back of a horse, they always prefer making
their incision in that place. The owner of the house
where we stopped, informed me that he was not able to
2c2
388 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
rear cattle here, on account of the destruction made by
the bats among the calves, so that he was obliged to keep
them at ^gjconsiderable distance in a lower part of the
country ; even the pigs did not escape their attacks.
The singular creatures which are productive of so much
annoyance, constitute the genus Phylloaioma, so named
from the leaf-like appendage attached to their upper lip ;
they are 'peculiar to the continent of America, being
distributed over the immense extent of territory between
Paraguay and the Isthmus of Darien. Their tongue,
which is capable of considerable extension, is furnished
at its extremity with a number of papillae, which appear
to be so arranged, as to form an organ of suction, and
their lips have also tubercles symmetrically arranged;
these are the organs by which they draw the life-blood
both from man and beast. These animals are the famous
Vampires, of which various travellers have given such
redoubtable accounts, and which are known to have nearly
destroyed the first establishment of Europeans in the new
world. The molar teeth of the true Vampire or spectre
bat, are of the most carnivorous character, the first being
short and almost plain, the others sharp and cutting, and
terminating in three and four points. Their rough
tongue has been supposed to be the instrument employed
for abrading the skin, so as to enable them more readily to
abstract the blood, but zoologists are now agreed that
such supposition is wholly groundless. Having carefully
examined, in many cases, the wounds thus made on horses,
mules, pigs and other animals, observations that have been
confirmed by information received from the inhabitants
of the northern parts of Brazil, I am led to believe that
^
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. S89
the puncture which the Vampire makes m the skin of
animals, is effected by the sharp hooked nail of its thumb,
and that from the wound thus made, it abstracts the blood
by the suctorial powers of its lips and tongue. That
these bats attack man, as well as animals, is certam, for I
have frequently been shown the scars of their punctures
in the toes of many who had suffered from their attacks,
but I never met with a recent case. They grow to a large
size, and I have killed some that measure two feet between
the tips of the wings.
It was late in the afternoon when we left Biachao, and
we halted about a league beyond it, under some trees by
the side of a small marsh, having been informed that the
next watering place was more than a league further on.
We were now travelling along the Chapada, or flat top of
the Serra, and I observed that the little streams we had
been crossing for some time, all flowed to the eastward,
to empty themselves into the Rio de San Prancisco. We
suffered from the cold during the night, and were besides
much annoyed by a large species of Mosquito, the bite of
which was very painftd, and on the following morning our
hands and faces were greatly swollen in consequence. We
did not get away from this place till about mid-day, owing
to one of the horses having strayed to some distance, but
this loss of time was compensated by successful bota-
nizing made in the neighbourhood. We now passed
^through a rather dense wood in a hollow, the road being
dreadfully bad, in consequence of the great niunber of
large rocks of limestone abounding there. The remainder
of this morning's journey of a league and a half, was
through a flat, open and rather sandy country, when we
390 TRAYSLS IN BRAZIL.
halted for a short time by the side of another marsh,
which afforded both water, and good pasturage for the
horses. In the afternoon we accomplished a further
distance of two very long leagues, and spent the night at
a small Fazenda called San Vidal. Two leagues beyond
this place, we reached the banks of a small river,'too
deep to allow of the horses passing with their loads.
We were told at San Vidal that we should find a bridge,
but we met with only the remains of one ; after much
trouble in searching along the swampy banks, we found
at length a spot that answered as a ford, where all the
loads were carried over on the men's heads, a task which
occupied about an hour and a half. We halted on the
other side of the river, under the shade of a large Vochysiay
which was then covered with its long spikes of yellow
flowers. During the time we lost in crossing, and for
more than an hour afterwards, an immense flight of a
large greyish coloured locust, passed from south to north.
They did not keep continuously on the wing, but alighted
and rose again at short intervals, and thousands of them
which fell into the stream, were carried down by the cur-
rent ; they did not fly above twelve feet from the ground,
and their constant rise and descent, gave the air very
much the appearance of falling flakes of snow. The
country through which we passed after leaving San Vidal,
is nearly one continued flat, sandy, bushy plain, thinly
wooded in some places with small trees, among which
occasionally appeared a fine palm, with a stem about
twelve feet high; large tracts had lately been burned
according to the general custom at this season. In many
places these sandy plains were beautifully adorned with
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 391
a dwarf species of Diplmodon, covered with rose-coloured
flowers, and small leaves, greatly reminding me of the
heather of my native country. A Fellozta, with a stem
about four feet high, was also very common, as well as
several elegant stemless palms. In the evening we went
on about a league and a half, and passed the night under
some trees by the side of a small river, very similar to
that we crossed in the morning. During the whole of
this day's journey, we were greatly annoyed by the nume-
rous stragglers of the flight of locusts that were follow-
ing their companions, and which sometimes nearly blinded
us, by striking against our faces. My little monkey
amused herself by catching them as they passed, and
they appeared a favourite food with her ; to prevent their
escaping, for she had frequently three at a time in her
possession, she secured them by biting off their heads as
soon as they were caught.
The river on the north side of which we slept, was very
deep, and I was greatly annoyed to flnd that a small
bridge, that had been thrown across it, had been nearly
carried away by the floods, so that we were again put to
the trouble of having all the luggage carried over ; this
occupied about an hour, when we lost no time in re-
suming our journey, in the hope of reaching some habita-
tion, where I could ascertain whether we were on the
right path towards a little hamlet through which I wished
to pass, called Nossa Senhora d'Abadia. After leaving
the river, we ascended a low hill, on the top of which is a
somewhat thickly wooded Chapada, and we spent nearly
half an hour in crossing it. Having accomplished this,
we saw at some distance in a hollow, a few small houses
392 TEAV£LS IN BRAZIL.
with a church, which proved to be the Kttle hamlet wc
were in quest of; it consisted of half a dozen miserable
small huts formed of wicker-work and clay, and thatched
with palm leaves, the church being also constructed of the
same materials ; the houses were all in a state of decay,
and uninhabited, with the exception of one, in which we
found a Mulatto woman and a few children. I had
hoped to procure here some com for my horses,, but none
was to be had. I asked the woman if she could direct
us to the Arraial of Formozo, but all the information she
could give, was that it was three leagues distant ; not only
had she never been there, but had never gone half a
league beyond the spot where she lived; she told us
however, that if we went to the house of the Juiz de Paz
of the district, who hved about half a league from Abadia,
he would give us all the information we wanted. We pro-
ceeded there accordingly, and found his house to be
scarcely better than those we had just left, and the Juiz
himself, a little meagre old man, with a grey beard that
appeared never to have felt a razor. When I asked ac-
cording to the custom of the country, if he would allow
us to pass the middle of the day with him, he said he was
sorry he could not give us accommodation, as two travelling
merchants from the Rio de San Francisco, occupied the
only spare room in his house. As the day was fine, we
took up our quarters beneath the shade of a large tree,
called Pao Parahiba {Simaba versicoloVy St. Hil.), which
grew before his house. Still wishing to give the horses
a feed of Indian com, I solicited the old man as a favour
to sell me a small quantity, but he assured me he had not
a single grain in his possession ; this however, I scarcely
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 393
beKeved, as I saw heaps of husks lying about, and not
long after, one of my men was infonned by a slave belong-
ing to the place, that his master had plenty. In the
course of the day, having learned my profession, he came
to consult me respecting a complaint of the chest, under
which he had been labouring for about eight days ; but
I very coolly told him, that being aware he had plenty of
corn, I would not attend to his complaint, until he had
sold me as much as would provide a good feed for all my
horses. He now confessed he had a little, and would try
to spare as much as I wanted ; in half an hour he sent
out about a bushel, for which I immediately paid him the
usual price, about two shillings. I found him labouring
under a slight attack of inflammation of the lungs, for
which I bled him, and left him some medicine to take. I
could not however ascertain his reason for refusing me
the com in the first instance, but my medical know-
ledge ultimately acted like a charm in procuring it.
When we left the house of the Juiz de Paz in the after-
noon, he directed us to Formozo, but as will be seen, not
suflBciently clearly. We started early with the intention of
making a long stage, and after travelling two very long
leagues, we arrived at a small house in a hollow where
two men, a negro, and a mulatto, were making Farinha
de Mandiocca. From them we learned we were on the
wrong road for Formozo ; and when I asked leave to pass
the night here, they assured me we should find much
better accommodation a little way further on. As the hut
was small, I accordingly pushed on towards the place
indicated, hoping to obtain good shelter, as it had been
thundering all the afternoon, and seemed likely soon to
394 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
rain; but when we had travelled half an hour without meet-
ing with any signs of a house, we reached a small muddy
stream, just as it was getting dusk, in crossing which, one
of the horses fell with its load of specimens of dried plants
in large skin boxes, by which the plants became soaked ;
this was all the more vexatious, as some of these parcels
were the same that had formerly suffered on the journey
from Duro to Natividade. After passiag this stream, we
went on pretty quickly for about another half hour, when
we arrived at a small uninhabited house in a very ruined
condition, but as the roof was in great measure entire,
we determined to remain here for the night. We were
much incensed against the men who gave us such wilfully
false information, for just as the luggage was taken off the
horses, it began to rain heavily, accompanied by a strong
wind, and, notwithstanding that we covered the open
patches in the roof and walls as well as we could with
skins, it was two hours before we could manage to keep
a candle lighted. Towards midnight the storm ceased,
when we kindled a large fire in front of the house, which
helped to warm and dry us.
On the following day we examined the collections that
had been wetted, and as the sun shone brightly, we dried
them by spreading them out on the sheets of paper in
which they were packed ; this task having occupied nearly
the whole day, we passed the following night under the
same shelter. In the afternoon I took a walk a little way
along the banks of a small stream, which flows into a large
marsh, lined on each side with Buriti palms, and other
trees and shrubs, where I collected a number of fine plants.
Next morning before starting, Mr. Walker in searching
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 395
for a ring to fasten into the end of one of our trunks, had
a very narrow escape from being bitten by a Rattle-
snake ; the ring had been laid down in a comer of the
room, and putting his hand to search for it in the dark,
he felt something soft which he was just about to lift,
when to his horror he discovered it to be a Rattle-snake ;
no time was lost in killing this frightful reptile, which was
found to measure nearly five feet in length ; I had slept aU
night within two feet of it. We left this place on the morn-
ing of the first of June, and after travelling about a league,
came in sight of some houses which were supposed to
be Formozo, but were informed the place was called
Campinhas, and that we had left the former place behind
us a little to the westward. Half a league further on, we
halted during the middle of the day, in the house of an
Indian, at a place called Pasquada ; when we arrived, the
man was absent working in his plantation, but his wife
received us with great hospitahty, immediately sending
one of her boys with a large basket of oranges and another
of sweet potatoes, and a few eggs, treating us in a very
different manner from that to which we had been for some
time accustomed. From this place we went on about two
leagues, and encamped for the night under a large tree,
called by the inhabitants Folha larga {Salvertia convaU
lariodora. St, Hil.). The nature of the comitry still con-
tinued to be very much the same as that we had traversed
since we had reached the table land of the Serra. On the
dry grassy flats, I met with a few specimens of the beau-
tiful Amaranthaceous plant which Martins has described
under the name of Gomphrena officinalis, and which is
well known to the people of the country by its vernacular
396 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
name of Para-todo. It has a large tuberous root, which
is very much used as a purgative, and as its name implies,
is considered good for every complaint. The stem is
about a foot high, hairy and leafy, and bears at its extremity
a large compact head of crimson flowers. We passed a
miserably cold night being obliged several times to get
out of our hammocks, in order to warm ourselves at the
fire. Had we proceeded half a mile further, we should
have reached a good-sized Fazenda, but I was not aware
we were so near it, until we heard a cock crow in the
morning. We halted during the middle of the following
day, at a Fazenda called San Francisco, about two leagues
distant from where we slept. From the time we left
Arrayas, the horses had gradually fallen off in strength,
owing to the want of proper provender, as they had de-
pended almost entirely on the coarse rank innutritions
grasses of the mountain pastures. They had also been ac-
customed to a warmer climate than that we now experi-
enced on the table-land of the Serra, where we were ex-
posed to a chilly S.E. wind, which at night was particularly
piercing. The heat during the day, especially when
imclouded, was very great, and this rendered us much
more susceptible to the cold at night. At Riachao I was
obliged to exchange two of my horses that could proceed
no farther, and finding here that my own horse, which I
had constantly ridden since I left Ico, in the province of
Ceara, was with difficulty kept from lagging behind the
others, it became necessary, much against my inclination,
to part with him, and procure another ; on leaving him
behind me I felt as if parting from an old friend, as we
had become so much accustomed to each other; my chesnut
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 397
horse was now replaced by another of a pure white, with a
flowing mane and tail ; but it did not remain long in my
possession, for it was stolen from me soon after we crossed
the Rio de San Francisco. We left San Francisco in the
afternoon and passed on our way to the first house from
the Fazenda, which is said to be three leagues distant, but
as the leagues in this district were even much longer than
those of the more populated parts of Goyaz, the distance
in reality was far greater ; towards dusk we encamped
under some small Tingi trees {JMagonia glahrata^ St.
Hil.) from the stems of which we suspended our ham-
mocks. Some of the large undulating grassy Campos
through which we passed between the Fazenda and the
place of our encampment, had been burned a few weeks
before. These were now covered with numerous herba-
ceous plants in full flower, and ^observed that in those
parts that remained untouched by the fire, the same plants
were in a more backward state, none being yet in blossom ;
but over the burned tracts, the new grass was springing
up vigorously, promising soon to yield an excellent pasture
for the cattle. On the following morning, after having
proceeded about half a league, we reached the Rio
Carynhenha, which forms the boundary line between the
province of Pemambuco, through the south west comer
of which we had for a few days been passing, and that of
Minas Geraes, so that on crossing it, we at length entered
the latter province. After travelling a further distance of
two leagues we halted to breakfast, under a wide-spreading
Piki tree, on the margin of a Buriti swamp. The first part
of our day's journey .was through an open Campo country,
the greater part of which had lately been burned ; but the
398 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
latter half was through a hilly and thinly wooded tract.
The day being cloudy, and the wind blowing freshly from
the S.E. made us all complain much of the cold. In the
afternoon it was my intention to reach the next house, said
to be three leagues from,that we had passed in the morn-
ing, but after travelUng till dark, without seeing it, we
encamped for the night near some bushes on the banks
of a small river ; and as there were no trees here from
which to suspend our hammocks, we contented ourselves
with sleeping on hides spread on the ground. In passing
through a wooded Campo (Taboleira coberta) we came
upon a large ant-eater {Myrmecophaga jubata) which
Mr. Walker followed with the intention of shooting, but
his gun missed fire; we all pursued it on foot with
sticks, as none of our guns happened to be loaded. I
was the first to come up with it, and being well aware
of the harmless nature of its mouth, I seized it by its long
snout, by which I tried to hold it, when it immediately
rose upon its hind legs, and clasping me round the mid-
dle with its powerful fore paws, completely brought me
to a stand ; one of the men now coming up, struck it a
blow on the head with a thick stick, which brought it for
an instant to the groimd. Notwithstanding it was
frequently stunned by the blows it received, it always
raised itself again and ran off ; at last I recollected the small
pistols which I always carried in my jacket pocket, loaded
with ball, when by the first shot through the breast it fell
dead. It was a very large animal, measuring about six
feet without including the tail, which together with the
long hair by which it is covered, measured full four more.
It ran very slowly, owing to the pexjuliar oi^nization of
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 399
its fore feet, two of the claws of which are very large and
doubled up when it walks or runs, causing one side of
the foot to rest on the ground. The proper, or rather
principal use of these powerful claws, is to assist in
obtaining the white-ant, the food on which it hves. The
large clay nests of these insects are very common in those
upland Campos, and when the ant-bear wants a meal, he
attacks one of these hillocks with his fore claws, tears out
a portion of the side, and pushes in his long slender
tongue, which is covered with a viscid saliva, to which my-
riads of the ants adhere, and opening his Uttle mouth he
draws it in ; now shutting his lips, pushes it out a second
time, retaining the ants in his mouth till the tongue has
been completely exserted, when he swallows them. We
afterwards met with numbers of these strange looking
animals.
The small river near which we slept, was full of rounded
blocks of limestone, which being very shppery, rendered
our passage across it difficult, but, fortunately all the
luggage was got over in safety. We now travelled for a
league, through a bare, arid, hilly country, in which almost
the only tree that exists, is a small gregarious species of
Vochysiay and arrived at the house we expected to reach
the night before, where I remained all day, in order to
preserve the skin of the ant-eater, and to arrange some of
my other collections. This place is called Capao da
Casca, and consists of but one small miserable hut, en-
tirely formed of leaves of the Buriti palm. It was inha-
bited by a mulatto, his wife and three children ; there
were but two very small apartments, so that we were
obliged to sleep on our hide beds spread out on the
400 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
ground before the house, where our men had kindled a
large fire. The house is situated in the mouth of a small
wooded valley, and the only cultivated ground I saw, was
a plantation of Mandiocca. The miserable poverty of the
family seemed to be entirely owing to the laziness of the
man, who was a perfect picture of indolence.
We left early on the following morning, with the in-
tention of making a long journey, as the next house was
said to be six long leagues distant, which I set down as
equivalent to ten legal ones. Shortly after leaving the
house, we had to cross a small stream, the bed of which
was very boggy, so that one of the horses stuck fast, and
in trying to extricate himself fell, together with his load,
into the stream. It was some time before the boxes
could be taken off, by which time they became quite full
of water, fortunately it was not a load of botanical spe-
cimens ; but one of the boxes contained the last remains
of my stock of paper for packing dried plants, as well as
a Uttle box full of the skins of bats and other small
quadrupeds, together with some insects, all of which
were more or less destroyed. As this was the first horse
that attempted to pass, I would not allow any of the
others to venture across with their loads, all were un-
packed and passed over by the men in safety. By the
time everything was again put into travelling order, and
we had gone on about half a league, it was mid-day,
when we halted under a large tree in the hollow near a
wooded marsh. Our first care was to dry all the articles
that had been wetted in the morning, which operation
was much favoured by the sun that shone brilliantly.
Some of the Campos we passed through were covered
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 401
with a large species of tree-lily, bearing a profusion of
beautiful puQ)le flowers. Early in the afternoon we con-
tinued our journey, and halted for the night in a wooded
Campo, a little above a large Buriti swamp, sleeping on
a hard bed, there being no place wherein to sling our
hammocks, and suffering much from the cold. Although
accustomed daily both to privations and fatigue, there was
an indescribable pleasure in the wild life we had long
been leading ; it is true we were deprived of nearly all the
comforts of civilized life, but we were, at the same time,
free from all its restraints ; when we rose in the morning
we knew not where our next sleeping place might be, but
the choice was almost always at our command, which,
however, was not made at random, but constantly regu-
lated by some indispensable requisites, such as water and
grass for the horses, trees from which to suspend our
hammocks, and wood, wherewith to make our nightly
fire. We had hitherto met with but little difficulty in
finding all these together, but the part of the Serra Geral
on which we were now travelling called the Serra das
Araras, was in most places so destitute of arboreous
vegetation, that trees were seldom met with in conibi-
nation with other requisites for an encampment. On
arriving at a place where we wished to remain, each person
had his own department to attend to ; the first thing was
to imload the horses, at which all assisted ; Mr. Walker
and I always saddled and unsaddled our own animals ;
two of the men then took them to the spot that offered
the best pasture, where they were left, after fastening
their fore legs together with leathern straps to prevent
them from straying during the night ; these men on their
402 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
return, brought with them as much dry wood as they
could carry. Another man was dispatched with a large
leather bag to fetch water ; while Mr. Walker and I ar-
ranged the packages together in such a manner that they
could readily be covered over with skins in the event of
rain ; two large trunks put together served as our table,
while two smaller ones supplied us with seats. Generally
before the men returned, Mr. Walker had kindled a fire,
and while supper was preparing, which was also our dinner,
for we took only two meals a day, I occupied myself in pre-
paring and changing the specimens collected on the pre-
vious days. By the time the water was boiled for our tea,
the piece of dried beef which had been put on a wooden spit,
and suspended over the hot embers, was ready for our sup-
per, as it required to be little more than heated. The
tea, dried beef, and farinha de mandiocca constituted our
usual fare, and I am certain that if any of our European
friends, who had never seen this kind of provision, could
have been suddenly transported to one of our meals, he
would have concluded from the appearance of our food
that we were eating saw-dust, and roasted leather. Our
greatest comfort was a large stock of excellent tea, which
I laid in before leaving Pemambuco, and which, fortu-
tunately, lasted till we reached a more civilized place,
where more was procured ; this was my only beverage
during the whole of this long and protracted journey, and
nothing could be more refreshing at the end of a day's
ride under a burning sun. I was told when I arrived in
Brazil, that I should find it necessary to mix either wine
or brandy with the water I drank, but a very short ex-
perience taught me, not only that they were unnecessaiy,
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 403
but decidedly hurtful to those whose occupations lead
them much into the sun ; whoever drinks stimulating
liquors, and travels day after day in the sun, will cer-
tainly suffer from headache, and in countries where mias-
mata prevail, will be far more Uable to be attacked by the
diseases which are there endemic. The dried beef of an
ox generally lasted us from three weeks to a month, by
the end of which time, it was scarcely fit to be eaten, be-
coming as hard as a chip of wood ; in moist rainy weather,
it was very difficult to preserve it, for with the utmost
care, we could not prevent the breeding of maggots, from
which it required to be freed both before and after it was
roasted : we were seldom, however, more than a fortnight
without fresh provisions of some kind or other, either in
the shape of deer, monkeys, armadillos, large hzards, or
birds of various kinds.
We started early from the Buriti swamp where we
slept, with the expectation of reaching the Fazenda do
Rio Claro about mid-day, but a httle before that time we
found, by the direction in which we were going, that we
had taken a vn-ong road. A little after mid-day we came
to the S.E. termination of that part of the Serra das Ara-
ras on which we had been travelling, whence we had an
uninterrupted view of the vast plain that stretches to
the south and east, studded here and there with a few
small lakes. After descending the Serra by an easy path,
we rested during the middle of the day beneath some
trees, by the side of a little stream of cool water that
came rushing down from the Serra, not knowing where
we were, nor when we might meet vnth any one to give
us information. We soon found the track again, and tra-
2d 2
404 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
veiling through a flat thinly- wooded country, on an indif-
ferent path, for about half an hour, we arrived at a small
house, which we found empty ; and a little further on
we came upon another in the same state. Following the
same path for about an hour, we met a black man and a
boy, from whom we learned that we should arrive at a
Fazenda about half a league further on; we likewise ascer-
tained at the same time, that the road we had chosen was
a round of about three and a half leagues to the Fazenda
do Rio Claro, but that it was much better than the one
usually travelled; this, at least, was some consolation
for the error we had committed. It was nearly sunset
when we reached a small Fazenda, called San Jose, where
we put up for the night ; the house was not only small,
but in a wretchedly ruinous condition, and belonged to a
mulatto, who did not seem to be very industrious. The
Rio Urucuya, which runs directly east from the Serra Geral,
and empties itself into the Rio de San Francisco a little
below San Romao, passes close to the house, and is even
there of considerable width and depth. On this day's
journey I collected no new plants, being the only instance
of failing to do so in my travels since I left the coast.
Next morning, after receiving proper directions for the
Fazenda do Rio Claro, we left San Jose, and not long
after we started, came to a large rivulet which was so
deep and muddy, that it became necessary for all the lug-
gage to be carried over by the men, and owing to the
diflSculties of the fording this occupied about two hours.
As the stream is narrow, and the banks high on each side,
it would not be difficult, in the course of a day, to form a
good wooden bridge over it at a trifling expense, for
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 405
plenty of wood exists close by ; but this is scarcely to be
expected from those who will not give themselves the
trouble of erecting a decent house to live in, notwith-
standing they are surrounded by an abundance of mate-
rials. When all had been passed over, I found it was
then too late to go on until we had breakfasted, we,
therefore, remained here till the afternoon. While at
breakfast, an elderly white woman and her son arrived
on the opposite side of the stream, and after having
crossed it, they remained during the middle of the day in
our encampment. We found this woman, notwithstanding
her age, to be lively and active, qualities not common
among Brazilian women ; I learned ftx)m her that she
was going to a place at a distance of five days journey, to
fulfil a vow she had made to San Antonio, some short
time before, when she was suffering from illness. During
our stay at this place, we were greatly tormented with
Carrapatos. We started early, and shortly before sunset,
arrived at last at the Fazenda do Rio Claro, having passed
through a flat, thinly wooded country, covered with
several large coarse kinds of grass. This Fazenda takes
its name from a httle stream that flows past it, and falls
into the Urucuya, about a league further south ; although
the house was large and commodious, compared with the
generality of others in those parts, the owner, Senhor
Manoel Lucas, would not give us accommodation for the
night, but sent us to a small open shed in front of the
hut of one of his slaves, where we slung our hammocks,
after having tied up some hides to keep out a cold wind
that blew down from the Serra. The men slept in the
open air, on the ground, by the side of a large fire. As
406 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
I had a great many plants to pack up, and as it was
necessary to get two more lai^e hide trunks made to put
them in, we remained four days at Bio Claro for this pur-
pose. During our stay, we found the proprietor to be
no less exorbitant than Captain Faustino, of San Joao,
in the extravagant prices he demanded for the dried
hides and Indian com that I bought from him, and equally
inhospitable in his demeanour. The whole time we re-
mained here, was spent in the shed before mentioned,
where we were roasted by day, and starved with cold by
night ; we found it so extremely cold in our hammocks,
for want of a proper supply of blankets, that we rose
several times during the night, in order to warm our-
selves by the fire, around which the men slept.
It was on the afternoon of the 12th of June, that we
left the inhospitable banks of the Eio Claro, and after a
journey of two leagues, arrived at the next Fazenda, called
Boquerao, from the owner of which we met with a very
different reception from that at the Rio Claro ; we were
not only accommodated in his own house, but shortly
after our arrival, he prepared for us an excellent supper of
fresh beef, a luxury we had not enjoyed since we left the
Fazenda of San Joao, near San Domingo. I now re-
gretted very much that 1 had not delayed my preparations
until our arrival at this place, as we should have found
everything more comfortably provided. The trees since
we descended the Serra, I observed to be very different
from those we had there met vrith, resembUng much
more, those existing in the Sertao country of Piauhy ;
they consisted of the Cambaiba {Caratella ^ambaida, St.
Hil), the Folha larga {Salvertia convaUariodora, St. HO.),
ARRAYAS TO SAN EOMAO. 407
two species of arboreous Biffnonia, with yellow flowers,
and the Sicupira {Commilodium polygalafiorum, Benth.);
there were besides a fine GerascanthnSy bearing large
panicles of white flowers, a silk-ootton-tree (Bombaai), and
a simple leaved Bhopala.
Our host, whose name I regret I have neglected to
record, would not allow us to depart on the following morn-
ing till we had breakfasted. As our stock of provisions was
again becoming short, he sold me as much dried beef as I
thought would carry us to San Romao, which was not now
many days journey distant. We rested during the heat of
the day at the next Fazenda, after travelling two and a half
leagues ; in the afternoon we went another two leagues,
and remained for the night at the Fazenda of Santa
Maria. The country still continued flat and dry, partly
open, and partly wooded; some of the open places
abounded, as far as the eye could reach, with the large
yellow clay nests of the white ant, among which we saw
several ant-eaters, and a large flock of the ostrich of the
country, which, as soon as they saw us, fled with extra-
ordinary rapidity. From Santa Maria, we went on to a
little hamlet called Espigao, half a league distant ; it con-
sisted of a few small houses, at one of which we stopped to
make enquiries about the road ; it belonged to a tailor,
who was at work outside the door ; as soon as we arrived,
about half a dozen young women, of all colours, and dirty
in the extreme, came out to reconnoitre us. Following
the directions, we went on about a league farther, and
halted to breakfast at an old uninhabited house, by the
side of a beautiful stream of clear water, flowing from a
Buriti palm swamp. Resuming our journey in the after-
408 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
noon, we crossed the stream, but were puzzled which road
to take of the two that presented themselves, one led to the
south, and another to the east ; and as our general direc-
tion was easterly, we followed that course. After travel-
ling about two and a half leagues through a very arid
and barren country, consisting of long flat sandy tracts,
wooded with a few stunted trees and bushes, and large
open Buriti swamps, we arrived at another uninhabited
house. During the latter part of this journey, the road
inclined so much towards the north, that I felt certain
we had not taken the right one, and determined to retrace
our steps on the following morning, and take that which
led to the south. As the house was in a very ruinous
state, we slept under some trees ; and as the nights had
now become too cold for the use of hammocks, we gene-
rally abandoned them, and adopted instead, an ox-hide
laid on the ground, by the side of a large fire, with a
trunk placed at our heads, and two or three others along-
side ; a heap of wood was always collected and laid within
reach, and as the hardness of our beds never allowed us
to sleep too soundly, the fire was always well kept up ;
the men had another fire to themselves.
On the following morning we returned to the place
where the two roads separated, and breakfasted under
the shade of a large Sicupira tree ; fortunately, just as
we were about to start, the same old lady and her son
whom we met at the Fazenda do Rio Claro, now passed
us, on her return from the fulfilment of her vow ; from
her we learned that we were altogether out of our proper
coiu'se, and that to regain it, it was necessary to return
to EspigSo, at which place there were also two roads, and
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 409
that we had been directed to the wrong one ; we had,
therefore, no alternative but again to retrace our steps,
having lost a day and a half by this erroneous inAf-
mation. On reaching Espigao, we took the other road
without making any further enquiries, and after travel-
hng about a league and a half, reached the banks of a
small river, half an hour after sunset. We passed the
night under some trees on the banks of the stream,
which is called the Riberao de Area ; it is only about
twenty yards broad, and shallow enough to allow the
horses to pass over v^dth their loads, but as the bottom
was very bad, from the great quantity of smooth rounded
stones, I thought it safer to have all the luggage con-
veyed over next morning in a fine large canoe, which we
found made fast on the opposite side, by which means, we
escaped all risk of damage from the slipping of the horses'
feet. The country around this place was very pretty,
being flat on each side of the river to a considerable dis-
tance, well covered with grass, and thinly wooded ; im-
mediately above the ford, there is a long rapid, the rush-
ing of the water over which, is heard at a great distance.
The canoe being large, we were not long in passing the
luggage, and afterwards we made a journey of about two
leagues and a half, through a slightly undulating, arid
and barren country, consisting chiefly of bare grassy hills,
covered in many places, with abundance of ferruginous
stones, and flat, sandy, thinly wooded Taboleiras. We
rested by the side of a small stream which flowed from a
Buriti swamp, and as there were no large trees, we
sheltered ourselves from the burning sun among some
bushes which grew on the margin of the rivulet. In the
410 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
afternoon, another journey of two leagues and a half
through a similar country, brought us to a little Fazenda
called Taboca, which belonged to a mulatto. On starting
next morning, the owner accompanied us for nearly half
a mile, in order to put us upon the right road, there
being several other paths leading to different places.
A journey of about ten leagues from this place, which
occupied two days and a hatf, brought us to the banks
of the Rio Urucuya, at a place called San Miguel, little
more than a league to the westward of its junction with
the Rio de Francisco, and here we had to cross it ; the
stream was about a gunshot in breadth, and very deep.
As there was no regular feny established here, we hired a
small canoe, by means of which all the packages were
safely taken across in two hours. The horses were
passed about a quarter of a mile further up, at a place where
they had only about half the breadth of the river to swim.
It was in the morning that we arrived at this place, and
although no com could be obtained for the horses, I de-
termined to remam here till the following day, in order
to give them a rest, all being in a very exhausted state,
in consequence of their long journey, and the want of
nourishing provender. We were now only five leagues
from the Villa de San Romao, and were the more anxious
to reach it as soon as possible, as our stock of provisions
had been exhausted the evening before we reached the
ferry. The journey from Boquerao occupied a longer
time than we anticipated, and we were disappointed on
finding, that after leaving that place, we could obtain
nothing by purchase at the few small Fazendas we passed.
I have everywhere, observed during my travels in Brazil,
ARBATAS TQ SAN ROHAO. 411
and the same remark has been made by M. Auguste de
St. Hilaire, that the nearer a traveller comes to a town,
or village, the less chance he finds of being able to renew
his stock of provisions. The men had still a few french-
beans, and a small piece of fat bacon left, but not more
than would suffice them for a single meal ; Mr. Walker
and I had now been two days and a half without tasting
any solid food, sustaining ourselves during that time en-
tirely on strong tea, for we had not been able to meet
with a single wild animal of any description ; we had
often before suffered severely from thirst, but had never
been so long without food ; it was fortunate we had the
tea, as it prevented us from suifering nearly as much from
hunger, as I expected we should have done. We stopped
at a house on the south side of the river, which was both
miserable and small, belonging to an old black woman,
the only resident there ; she had nothing, not even a fowl
to sell. We slept in a part of the house that wanted a
roof, and had only a small portion of the walls entire ;
a large fire was kindled in the middle of the floor, by the
side of which we spread out hides for our beds.
As there was some difficulty in finding one of the
horses, it was late next morning before we left the banks
of the Urucuya. After travelling nearly a league, we halted
for some time, at a place where there are two small lakes,
called As Duas Irmaas. We did not proceed further,
having been informed, before we started, that we should
not meet with a drop of water for the next three leagues,
and this in the afternoon we found to be really the case, the
road leading through one continued flat dry sandy plain,
thinly covered with bushes and small trees. We reached
412 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the first watering place a little before sunset, it is called
Riacho, and is about a league from San Romao ; there is
no house there, nor could I observe any appearance of habi-
tation on the whole road from the Urucuya to the Villa ;
we hoped to have reached the Villa that evening, but the
horses were too much fatigued to go further ; we there-
fore encamped for the night under some trees by the side
of a hmpid rivulet ; none of us had had a morsel to eat,
but we had all a large basin of strong warm tea, which
made up in some measure for the want of a more sub-
stantial supper. To this Mr. Walker and the men added
a pipe of tobacco, as they were all inveterate smokers.
At length, on Sunday morning the 21st of June, we
entered the Villa de San Romao, and having proceeded
to the house of the Juiz de Paz, in order to show him my
passport, he very kindly sent a person to look after a
house for our reception. He was not long in finding
one, and aa soon as the horses were unloaded, I dispatched
a man in search of provisions, but, strange to say, he could
find nothing but farinha. A market had been held early
in the morning, of both fresh and dried beef, but all had
been sold off before our arrival;, a most fortunate occur-
rence, however, afforded us a better breakfast than we
anticipated. Just as we were preparing some tea, which
we intended to take with some farinha, a little boy came
to enquire if I would buy a fish which he had just caught,
and which was lying on the banks of the river. I went
there immediately, and for the value of a few pence,
bought the fish, a fine species of salmon upwards of two
feet long, which I need not say was soon cooked, and
formed a most welcome meal for all of us.
ARKATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 413
The Villa Resonha de San Romao is situated on the
south bank of the Rio de San Francisco, in the district of
Paracatu ; it is small, not containing above one thousand
inhabitants, and fonns a square of several long narrow
irregular streets ; the houses are all of one story, and
without exception, built of wicker-work and clay, there
being no stone in the neighbourhood; the principal,
streets run parallel with the river, and the three which
are nearest to it, are almost every year inundated by the
overflowing of its waters during the seasons of the rains.
The other part of the town being somewhat higher, is
exempt from this annoyance; the house we inhabited
was one of these exposed to those floods, and although
the floor, was at leaat foiu* feet above the level of the
street, it required to be abandoned annually for some
time; during the great flood of 1838, to which I was
witness on my voyage up the Rio de San Francisco, the
water rose five feet above the level of the floor, and the
walls still retained evident marks of the fact. The popu-
lation consists chiefly of people of colour, and I do not
beheve that a dozen white famiUes exist in the whole Villa.
Most of the respectable inhabitants, are shopkeepers who
supply the Fazendeiros, and those who reside in the sur-
rounding country, with European and other goods. The
place cannot be said to have any trade of its own, the
principal source of traffic being fish, caught in the river,
which after being salted and dried, is sold to the inha-
bitants of the Sertoes, who are remarkably fond of this
food. The better class of the inhabitants are greatly ad-
dicted to gambling, resorting every day for that purpose, to
the house of an old Captain, who is the owner of a spirit
414 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
shop; having occasion to call several times on some of them^
with letters of recommendation that I brought fix)m Goyaz,
I seldom found them at home, being always directed to the
above house, where they were sure to be found, in com-
pany with one of the two priests belonging to the place,
and this on Sundays, no less than on other days. This
priest. Padre Francisco Femandes Vianna, although a
man of a most benevolent disposition, was far from being
a model of morality to his flock ; to him, however, I was
indebted for several acts of kindness, as also to Ideut.
Col. Thomaz de Conceipao, a person of considerable in-
telUgence, who forms an exception to the general character
I have given of the inhabitants. From this gentleman I
received letters of recommendation to the excellent and
learned Padre Antonio Nogueira Duarte, of Contendas, a
small village between the Rio de San Francisco and the
Diamond district, a person who is spoken of in the
highest terms, both by St. Hilaire and by Spix and
Martins. I expected to pass through this village, and to
have had the pleasure of meeting with one, who though
now a very old man, still takes a delight in the pursuits
of natimd history, but when I found that in order to
visit him, I should be obliged to make a round of several
leagues, I renounced all idea of doing so, both on account
of the fatigued condition of my horses, and of the great
desire I now had to reach a place where my funds, which
were in a very reduced state, could be renovated. The
first evening, as I walked through the town, I was sur-
prised to hear one or more fiddles playing in almost
every house ; this is the instrument almost exclusively
used by the barbers in Rio de Janeiro, and the other
ABRAYAS TO SAN ROMAO. 415
large cities and towns along the coast, but in the interior
it is very seldom met with, the guitar being a greater
favourite, and generally used both by ladies and gentle-
men. In San Romao, however, this usual fashion is de-
parted from, no young ladies' education being considered
complete unless she has learned to handle the bow.
It being now the dry season, the river was many feet
below its banks, and although of great breadth, appeared
narrow when compared with what it was when I first
beheld it, in 1838. It abounds in fish, which at this
season are brought in canoes in great plenty, and sold in
the VUla at a very cheap rate. During my residence
there, I prepared specimens of most of the ordinary kinds,
which are now in the British Museum. The following
are the names of a few of those which are most esteemed.
1. Surubim*, — ^This fish, which is a species of sturgeon,
often reaches the length of six feet. It is taken
most commonly in nets, but sometimes also, espe-
cially by the Indians, by being shot at with an
arrow, to which a strong cord is attached. The
flesh of this species dried, is that principally sold
in the Sertao; I have frequently tasted it, and
found it excellent.
2. Curumatdm, — This, as well as the three following, be-
longs to the Salmonida ; it is about two feet in
length, and both in colour and taste its flesh
has a very near approach to our common salmon.
It inhabits the bottom of the river, and is generally
* This spelling is different from that made use of by St. Hilaire,
bis bein^, 8urt$iy. That which I adopt for this, as well as for the other
species, is taken from a MSS list given me by Padre Francisco Femandes
Yianna, of San Romao.
416 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
taken witli a drag-net, but never with the hook.
During my stay in San Romao, several canoes
came in every morning, nearly full of them, and
sold at about a half-penny each fish. The stomach
is very thick and muscular, but in all those I ex-
amined, I never found anjrthing but a large quan-
tity of fine earth, in hard lumps.
3. Dourddo, — A beautiful fish, from two to four feet in
length ; it is generally taken with the hook, but
is not considered delicate food. We, nevertheless,
relished the first we ate very much, it being this
species I bought of the boy on the day we ar-
rived at San Romao.
4. Matrixdm. — Somewhat similar to the Dourddo, but
smaller, and considered a much superior fish.
5. Piau branco, — From one to two feet long, and with
much larger scales than any of the others ; it is
taken with the hook, and its flesh is much
esteemed.
6. Curvinha. — About two feet in length, with a scaly
head ; it takes the bait readily, but the flesh,
which is soft, is not considered good.
7. TVaira. — ^Also about two feet long and rather slender ;
it takes the bait, and is much esteemed.
8. Pird. — About two and a half feet long, with a pro-
truded beak; is only taken with the drag-net,
and is considered a dehcate fish.
9. Mandi, — One of the SiluridcB, and perhaps a species
of Mydus \ from a foot and a half to two feet
long, with no apparent scales, and long barbecels
proceeding backwards from its mouth. It keeps
ARRATAS TO SAN ROMAO. 417
near the bottom of the river, is taken by the hook,
and considered one of the best fish it produces.
10. Pocomd, — ^This and the following, also belong to the
Silurida, and are perhaps, species of the genus
HypoBtonms, The Pocomd is an ugly black fish,
about two feet long, covered with large hard
plates. It keeps near the bottom, and is taken in
great plenty in the nets which are throvm for
other fish. During my visit, the sandy shores of
the river were covered with those which had been
thrown out of the nets. It is seldom eaten, but
makes good bait for other fish.
11. Caacuda, This species is smaller than the last, and
very much resembles it, except that it is of a yel-
low colour.
The Pirduha, .and Pidba, of both of which I have
already spoken, are as abundant here as they are below
the falls of Paulo Affonso ; besides these, there must be
many others which I had not an opportunity of seeing.
During the whole time we remained in San Romao, we
lived, principally on fish; indeed, it is so abundant,
and so cheap, that fresh beef is rarely offered in the
market. The navigation of the river being uninterrupted
from this place to the falls of Paulo Affonso, many canoes
are continually passing up and down; their principal
cargo up is salt, from the manufactories which exist on
the vast saKne flats on both sides of the river below Porto
do Salgado ; this is partly sold for money, and partly ex-
changed for hides, tobacco, &c.
As it was essentially requisite to arrange and pack the
large collections made during our journey from Arrayas,
2 E
418 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
and as our long journey now began to manifest its effect
on the men, as well as on the animals, I determined to
give them a sufficient rest, by remaining a fortnight at San
Romao ; accordingly the horses were sent to pasture on a
large island in the river, immediately opposite the town ;
this island is about half a league long, and a quarter of a
mile broad ; the pasture there was not very good, but
the horses remained much safer than in any other place.
Horse stealing is so very common in this quarter, that
scarcely a troop arrives, from any distance, that does not
lose one or more animals ; before our arrival, we became
aware of this fact, and were advised to put our troop
on the island for safety. As the country was greatly
dried up around the town, by the effiects of the long
drought, I did not here add much to my collections ; and,
indeed, a slight accident that occurred to me, prevented
my walking about so much as I should otherwise have
done. A few days after we arrived, I went to pay a visit
to a gentleman, when in going up a few steps at the door,
my foot slipped, and my leg came with considerable vio-
lence against the sharp edge of one of the brick steps ;
the wound, although small, troubled me greatly, for owing
to the fatigue I had previously undergone, and the innu-
tritious nature of our food, my body had evidently fallen
into a somewhat scorbutic state. I did not finaUy re-
cover from the effects of this accident till nearly two
months afterwards, when I rested several weeks in the
house of a kind friend in the Gk)ld district.
CHAPTER XII.
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT.
Leaves San Bomao — ^Passes Guaribas — ^Passagem — Greraes Yelhas —
Espigao — Caisara — Cabeceira— Arrives at the Villa de Formigas —
Town described — Account of tbe impostor Douville — Country
around rich in Botanical products — ^Passes Viados — ^Arrives at the
Arraial de Bomfim — Reaches San Elo—Sitio— Comes to a Gold
Working called Lavrinha — Crosses the River Inhacica — Reaches
As Vargems — Registo do Rio Inhahy — ^Bassoras on the river Jiqui-
tinhonha — examines a Diamond Mine — formation in which the
Diamond is found — Mode of working it — ^Arrives at the Arraial de
Mendanha — ^Town described — ^Ascends the Serra de Mendanha —
Reaches Duas Pontes — Arrives at the Cidade Diamantina, formerly
the Arraial de Tejuco, the Capital of the Diamond District — ^Town
situated on side of Hill — ^Description of its Population — ^Their mode
of Dress — ^its cold Temperature — Productions of its Neighbourhood
— ^Mining for Diamonds, formerly a privileged Monopoly, now is
open to all — Character of Miners — Extent of Diamond Mines—
Privilege of Slaves there employed — ^Climate very Healthy — ^Women
very Handsome— Complaints incident to its Climate — ^Loyalty shown
by its Inhabitants — ^Fatality among Horses.
The province of Minas Geraes is not only one of the
largest in Brazil, but one of the richest, its natural re-
sources being very considerable. It extends between the
14th and 23rd degrees of south latitude, and between the
41st and 53rd degrees of west longitude, the four more
westerly degrees, however, include but a very narrow
comer ; on the east it is bounded by the maritime pro-
2e2
420 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
vince of Espirito Santo, on the north, by those of Bahia
and Pernambuco, on the south, by those of Rio de
Janeiro and San Paulo, and on the west, by that of Goyaz.
It is naturally divided into two very unequal portions by
a mountain chain, that runs from south to north, in which
exist the Gold and Diamond mines, for which the province
is so celebrated. The country to the east is mostly covered
with virgin forests, while that to the west, which is flatter,
chiefly consists of pasture lands, much of which, however,
is covered with Catinga forests, forming one of the largest
tracts in Brazil, to which the name of Sertao is given. In
order to reach the Cidade Diamantina, the capital of the
Diamond district, which it was now my intention to visit,
it was necessary to make a long journey through this
desert-like country; the road most frequented, is that
which runs southward along the east bank of the^o de
San Francisco, and the north of the Rio das Velhas, a
large tributary of the former, which takes its rise in the
Gold country ; the other, which is a far worse road, leads
through the Sertao in a south-east direction ; but I pre-
ferred it, because it would sooner bring me into the
mountainous regions of the Diamond district.
On the 1st of July, preparatory to our departure, my
horses were brought over from the island to the east side
of the San Francisco, and early on the following morning
the luggage was all at once passed over, in a large ajojo,
two canoes lashed together. All being now prepared, I
had resolved to proceed immediately, but on collecting
the animals, my own saddle horse was not to be found ;
all that day was spent in search of it, but the only trace
left, was the leathern strap, by which its fore legs had
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 421
been secured, and which was found in the wood unbot-
toned at both ends, and as this could only have been
done by some person, we came to the conclusion that the
horse was stolen ; I, therefore, resolved to lose no more
time in looking after it. About mid-night we were
awakened by a black man, who had assisted my men in
the morning's search, who came to inform me that a
horse similar to mine, had been seen during the day, tied
to a tree, in the wood, considerably further up the river ;
early next morning, T despatched one of my people in that
direction to look for it, who returned in about an hour,
bringing the horse with him ; it was evident it had been
taken there, in the hope of its remaining concealed, until
an opportunity occurred of carrying it away altogether ;
I now lost no time in commencing the journey, and
making a short stage of about a league, rested, during the
middle of the day, at a Fazenda called Guaribas. The
first half league was through a flat thinly-wooded tract,
which is generally overflowed by the river, during the
rainy season ; I saw some fine large trees in this wood,
of a species of Triplaris, and an arboreous Bi^nonia, des-
titute of leaves, but covered with flowers not unlike those
of the Fox glove, in shape, size, and colour ; the under-
wood here, consisted chiefly of different kinds of Minvoaa,
Acada^ Bauhifiiay Casalpinia, &c.; and an immense
number of Lemon trees, loaded with fruit ; this tree has
here become quite naturalized, and the cattle that pasture
in the woods are so fond of the fallen frujt, that when
killed, their flesh smells strongly of Lemon. The other
half league led through a thickly wooded Taboleira. At
Guaribas, I occupied myseK with skinning a very large
422 TRAVBLS IN BRAZIL.
howling Monkey, which Mr. Walker shot, the evening
before, on a tree on the banks of the Eio de San Fran-
Cisco ; and in the afternoon we advanced another two
leagues, and arrived at a Fazenda, called Fasst^em.
The road was dreadfully bad, in consequence of the
underwood which choaked the almost untrodden path ;
on this journey, every little twig and blade of grass was
loaded with Carrapatos, in balls^ often the size of filberts,
and we became completely covered with these annoying
insects ; the banks of the little stream near the house,
in particular, was swarming with them. In the afternoon,
we passed two small lakes which were fuU of wild ducks,
but we were too much annoyed by the badness oi the
road, to lose time in shooting any of them, although they
appeared to be very tame ; they are smaller than those
which frequent the lakes of the north of BrazO.
The Fazenda of Passagem, at which we stopped, be-
longs to a person who resides in San Romao, whose
acquaintance I made during my stay there ; the Yaqueiro*
in charge of it, had orders not only to entertain us for
the night, but to guide us to the next Fazenda, which is
three leagues distant. It was my design to leave early
on the following morning, but my mortification was ex-
treme, on finding that my riding horse again was not
forthcoming with the others ; as the country around the
house was covered with a thick Catinga forest, abounding
in many places with a small kind of Bamboo, of the leaves
of which the horses are remarkably fond, we concluded
he would be found grazing somewhere near at hand, but
all the forenoon was in vain spent in search of him ; the
Vaqueiro, who was a most obliging man, and well ac-
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 423
quainted with the country, then mounted his horse, in
quest of the lost animal, but he returned in the evening,
without having been able to find the slightest trace of
him ; aU the following day was again spent in a useless
search, and, as the pasturage at this place was veiy bad,
we went on in the evening, for the sake of the other ani-
mals, to Geraes Velhas, the Fazenda to which the Va-
queiro had orders to conduct us ; he remained here with
us all night, and next morning, I sent one of my men back
with him, to have a last search for the missing horse, being
unwilling to proceed without him, as he was one of the
best belonging to my troop ; but on the following day,
the man returned without having obtained the slightest
inteUigence of the lost animal ; I entertained no doubt,
that the thief who had been disappointed on the former
occasion, had now followed us, and at last made sure of
his booty. The country between Fassagem and Geraes
Velhas consists principally of a flat Taboleira, which for
the most part, is covered with a tall grass, a species of
AndropogoUy from six to twelve feet high. For the next
four days after leaving Geraes Velhas, our route was
through a very thinly inhabited countiy, consisting some-
times of low Catinga forests, at others, of Taboleiras
cobertas, and not unfirequently of woodless grassy hills,
on which that species of Cdllopi9ma, called Boca do Sapo,
and the beautiful Chresta pycnocephala, grew profusely,
both of which were then in full flower. In passing
through bushy grassy tracts in the Sertao, the ears of the
traveller are greeted, from early dawn tUl night, by the
loud cries of a large gallinaceous bird, called by the in-
habitants, Seriema ; they generally go in pairs, and by
424 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
keeping among the long grass, they are seldom seen ; like
the Ostrich of the country (Emu), they run with great
quickness. St. Hilaire compares their cry to that of the
turkey, but I find in my journal, that I have frequently
remarked it to be like the yelping of a whelp ; they build
their nest in the low trees, and lay two eggs ; as their
flesh is not much esteemed, they are seldom sought after
by the sportsman ; and on this account, are frequently
heard uttering their peculiar cry in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of houses : it is the Dicohphus cristatus of
Ilhger.
In passing through a little hamlet, called Espigao,
which consists of about a dozen scattered houses, belonging
to people of colour, I met with a horse dealer, with whom
I exchanged two of my horses, that were a good deal
exhausted, for two better ones, giving him a sum of money
to boot ; but as he saw I was almost driven by necessity
to make this exchange, he, of course, contrived to have
the best of the bargain, in which respect the Brazihan horse-
dealers very much resemble those of more civilized co\m-
tries. On leaving Espigao, we travelled all the afternoon,
and the whole of the next day, before we came to any
habitation ; it was dusk when we arrived in sight of it,
and it was not without some diflSculty, owing to the bad-
ness of the road, and our not knowing which path to take,
that we at length reached this Fazenda, called Caisara.
I was much disappointed to find this portion of the pro-
vince so thinly populated, and exhibiting but few indica-
tions of native industry ; although many tracts appeared,
equally well adapted for the rearing of cattle, as the
greater portion of Goyaz, we saw scarcely any animals
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 425
distributed over its surface ; there seemed abundance of
excellent pasturage and good shelter for cattle, and not-
withstanding that the upper parts of the hills were some-
times bare, the valleys appeared to be well wooded. When
I asked for quarters for the night, at this place, I was told
by the owner, an old mulato, that if we chose, we might
sleep under some orange trees, to which he pointed, at a
little distance fix)m the house. Thither, we accordingly
went, but just as we were getting the horses unloaded, he
came down to inform us, that although he gave us hbei^y
to sleep there, he would not on any account allow us to
make a fire. The nights in this part of the country being
too cold to admit of sleeping in the open air without artifi-
cial warmth, I determined to keep aloof from a man who
was so uncivil and inhospitable, and therefore moved away
from his orange trees, carrying off all our equipage to the
high road, which passed by the house, where we kindled a
large fire, by the side of which we slept, but most uncom-
fortably, as the groimd was covered with Carrapatos.
Next morning before we started, the owner of the Fazenda
came out to visit us, and no doubt, being ashamed of his
conduct, he begged I would not mention to any one the
manner in which we had been received, which was entirely
owing to the smallness of his accommodation, but this was
evidently a mere excuse, as his house was by no means
small. The true reason for making this apology, was his
having ascertained, from one of my men, the nature of my
profession, for he brought with him one of his daughters,
to solicit my advice respecting a complaint under which
she had laboured for some time ; I was also asked by
him to visit one of his slaves, who for many years, had
426 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
been prevented from working, by a complaint not uncom-
mon in Brazil, Sarcocele; this however was the most
remarkable case I had ever witnessed, exhibiting an
enormous mass of sohd flesh in a pyrifoim shape, that
reached the groimd, weighing nearly as much as the rest
of his body. The wretched being who was thus affected,
was a man still in the prime of life, and suffered but
little, except from the inconvenience it caused him.
On the afternoon of the following day, we arrived at
another Fazenda called Cabeceira, the distance between
the two places being about four leagues and a half. On
this journey, the country still continued to rise, and about
half a league before reaching this place, we passed over a
bare Serra of considerable height, the ascent of which
was rather steep, although the road over it is excellent,
being so constructed that carts can cross it without diffi-
culty ; that portion of the mountain in which the road
has been made, is a soft brownish coloured clay slate, but
at no little distance on each side, the more lofty summits
of the Serra consist of a black compact Umestone. The
bushy Campos through which we passed in the afternoon,
were beautifully adorned with a fine plant, belonging to
the natural order Cotnposita^ which grew in the greatest
abundance, and reached to the height of about five feet,
the Chresta aph^erocephala of De Candolle ; it has large
leaves, which together with the stem and branches, are
covered with a white wooUy substance, and is much
branched at the top, each branchlet being terminated by
a large globose compact head of purple flowers. As there
was a good watering place in a wood a little beyond
Cabeceira, we preferred going there, rather than remaining
SAN ROMAO TO TOE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 427
at the house, to which we were invited by the owner.
During the whole interval since we had left the province
of Groyaz, we never suflfered for want of water as we had
done in the dry provinces of the north. In every part of
the country through which we were now travelling, we
found in nearly every valley, a httle stream of clear, cool,
and delicious water, and during our future progress, it
became even more abundant. We were now only two
leagues and a half distant from the Villa de Formigas,
but owing to the badness of the roads, we did not reach
it till nearly one in the afternoon, notwithstanding we
left our encampment at an early hour. The country was
rather hilly, and the roads stony, but it presented one
great advantage to the traveller, which I knew well how
to appreciate, in the bridges which are here to be found
crossing all the little streams that intersect the roads.
They are constructed of wood, and however rude, they
save the traveller much trouble, and prevent the risk of
damage to the luggage, as we too often experienced on
our journey between Arrayas and San Romao, Imme-
diately on entering the Villa, we passed over an excellent
bridge of considerable span, one of the best I had yet
seen in the interior, it crossed a small river which passes
through a portion of the town. Having letters of recom-
mendation to the Vigario of the district, Fadre Antonio
Gonsalves Chaves, I proceeded at once to his house, where
we met with a most hospitable reception ; an excellent
breakfast was immediately prepared, and good quarters
provided us, in an empty house belonging to him, ad«
joining the one which he inhabited.
The Villa of Montes Claros de Formigas, is of small
428 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
dimensions containing a population of about 1,000 souls,
but in respect to its situation, the arrangement of its streets,
and the neat and clean appearance of the houses, it far
exceeded any Villa I had seen in the interior. It is distant
from Rio de Janeiro and Bahia upwards of two hundred
leagues, and about fifty from the Cidade Diamantina ;
until the year 1832, it ranked only as an Arraial, but in
that year it was elevated to the dignity of a ViUa, and is
now the chief town of the Comarca of the same name.
The site on which it is built has been well chosen, being
a slightly elevated plateau, in the centre of a large valley,
which is surrounded on all sides, by an irregular ridge of
hills of considerable elevation. The greater part of the
houses are arranged in the form of a very large square,
much longer than broad, of which the south side is still
incomplete. At the north end of this square stands the
only church the ViQa contains, near which is an excellent
roofed market-place, for the sale of provisions brought
from the country ; at the south end of the space fronting
the church, is a large jail not yet finished. The small
river that passes it, called the Rio Vieira, falls into the
Rio das Velhas, yielding the town a very good supply of
fish, similar to those found in the Rio de San Francisco.
The Villa contains a few shops, where European goods
are sold ; these goods were formely brought from Bahia,
but Rio de Janeiro seems now to be the principal resort
of the merchants, who take with them in exchange to
the coast, its chief produce, saltpetre, which is found not
only in the soil in certain parts of the surrounding Sertao
country, but in caverns in the limestone rocks, of which
the low mountains in the vicinity are principally formed.
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 429
The Fazendeiros in the country around Formigas, occupy
themselves principally in the rearing of cattle and horses,
which are for the most part driven to the Bahia market.
They also cultivate a Uttle mandiocca and Indian com, but
no rice, the dry nature of the country not being suited to
its growth.
I remained only two days in Formigas, being now very
anxious to reach the Grold country, where I expected to
find letters from England awaiting my arrival ; I should
otherwise have made a longer stay here, in order to re-
cover from the effects of the bruise I received on my leg,
at San Romao, which, in consequence of my being obliged
to ride every day on horseback, had become so greatly
inflamed and swollen, as to cause me much pain and
inconvenience, and totally to prevent all chance of making
any exursions on foot in the neighbourhood of the Villa.
During my stay, I received many kind attentions from
the Vigario, who readily afforded me the use of his hbrary,
which, though small, contained a good selection of Latin,
French, and Portuguese works. From him I received
the following information respecting the unfortunate im-
postor Douville, the author of the pretended travels in
the interior of Africa.*
In the year 1836, he visited Formigas, and lived for
some time in the house of the Vigario, passing himself
off as Dr. Douville, and gaining much money by the
practice of medicine; he also trafficked in the buying
and selling of horses, notwithstanding that he said he
* For an exposition of tlie impostures of this pseudo- African tra-
veDer, compared with whom Mendez Pinto was but a mere type, see
the 10th. and 11th. vols, of the " Foreign Quarterly Review ".
430 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
was sent to Brazil by the king of France, on a mission to
investigate its natural productions, and curiosities, and to
construct a map of such portions of the Empire, as he
chose to visit during his travels. He boasted much of his
African journeys, exhibiting everywhere a gold medal,
which he said he received from the Geographical Society
of Paris, subsequent to the publication of his work. The
Vigario, as well as other persons of intelligence in
Formigas, suspected him to be an impostor, concluding
that he was not the real Douville, who was said to have
travelled in Africa, but another person who had got
fraudulent possession of his papers, &c. He generally
charged exorbitant sums of money to those he at-
tended in his medical capacity, and it was owing to an
instance of this kind, that he met with his death. Some-
where near the Bio de San Francisco, he was called upon
to attend a Fazendeiro who was ill, and with whom he
bargained to effect his cure, for the sum of 200 mil reis,
about twenty-five pounds sterling, but in the end the
patient died, notwithstanding which, he insisted on
receiving the stipulated sum, and after some time, the
heirs of the deceased yielding to his importunities, gave
it to him. They did not, however, intend it should
remain long in his hands, for when Douville embarked to
go down the river, they sent a man after him, who killed
him one night as he was asleep in his canoe, and robbed
him not only of the 200 mil reis, but of every thing he
had in his possession ; thus he fell at last, a victim to his
own gross impostures.
We left Formigas on the morning of the 13th of July,
and after travelling about half a league we reached the
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 431
mountain range, by which the valley is bounded, its
structure being a dark compact primitive limestone. The
ascent which is very gradual, is well wooded with small
trees, but on reaching the top, we entered upon an undu-
lating open barren country, with only here and there a
few clusters of trees in hollow places ; to these isolated
woods, the name of Capoes is given, an appellation which
is highly poetical, being derived from the Indian word
Caapoam, which signifies an island. These island-woods
form a peculiar feature, in the upland, open, undulating
Campos of the province of Minas Geraes. The trees
which compose them, chiefly consist of different species
of Myrciay Eugenia^ Fochysia, Anona, Zaurus, Styraw,
&c., intermingled with climbing shnibs, such as JBaukinia,
PauUinia, &c. The soil in which these trees grow, is
often, so swampy, that it is diflScult to get among them,
nor can this be done without risk, on account of the
large Boa Constrictors, which frequent these places. After
a journey of about three leagues, through this description
of country, we came to a small stream in a hollow, where
we determined to halt for the remainder of the day,
as we had been told the next watering place was about
three leagues further on. The spot we selected for our
quarters was under the shade of some small trees, but we
had scarcely unloaded one horse, when we found our-
selves covered with Carrapatos, and on examination,
discovered that both the grass and ground were swarm-
ing with them. No time was lost in abandoning this
spot, and ascending again to the open Campo, we obtained
shelter under the wide spreading boughs of a large Jatoba
tree. In the grassy fields I found a pretty little melas-
432 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tomaceous shrub with rose-coloured flowers, and on the
slanting face of a hill which led down to one of the island-
woods, I collected no less than five species of the genus
Erynffium. During the night, a cold wind blew over the
table-land where we slept, from the effects of which, we
endeavoured to protect ourselves, by means of a large
fire that we kept burning, but which we had some diflfi-
culty in maintaining for want of dry wood. Towards
morning, we were all aroused by the barking of our large
mastiff dog, and the screaming of some one he had
attacked. Our encampment was close by the side of the
public road, and the dog had sprung upon a poor black
man, who was on his way to Formigas, fipom the Diamond
districts, and who had set out on his journey at this early
hour, to escape the heat of the day.
On the following morning we went on to the next
watering place, which was a spring in a wooded hollow.
The country through which we passed, was very different
from that we had traversed on the previous day; the first
half of the three leagues, was through an elevated, but
rather thickly wooded country, on leaving which we
ascended a low Serra, covered with a stunted shrubby
vegetation ; to these elevated shrubby tracts, the inha-
bitants of Minas Geraes give the name of Carrascos.*
* I sliall here briefly enumerate the diflferent kinds of forests and
woods, which the inhabitants of Brazil distinguish by particular names.
These are first, the Matos Virgens, or virgin forests, such as those which
exist on the Organ Mountains, and indeed along the whole maritime
Cordillera. To these also belong the Capoes of the Campo countries.
Next to the virgin forests come the Catingas, the trees of which are
generally small and deciduous, and form the connecting link between the
virgin forests and the Carrascos, which grow on more elevated tracts
than the Catingas, and consist of close growing shrubs about three or
four feet high. These are all natural woods, very different from the
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 433
Many of the shrubs seen here, belonged to fonns that
were quite new to me ; one of the most remarkable of
these, was a fine new species of the curious genus Lychno-
phoruy belonging to the natural order Compo^ta, and is
pecuUar to the mountains of Minas Geraes, and, which,
together with the Vellozias, give a decided feature to
their otherwise peculiar vegetation ; this shrub is about
six feet high, with numerous branches issuing nearly
horizontally from the upper part of the stem, each bearing
a cluster of narrow leaves, about half a foot long. The
whole of the plant, with the exception of the upper sides
of the leaves, is everywhere covered with a dense coat of
long brownish coloured wool, which, in places where it
grows abundantly, is collected by the inhabitants to fill
their beds and pillows. I afterwards met with some
other species, having their leaves so very narrow, that at
first sight, they resemble the Scotch fir, the likeness being
increased by their habit of growth, which is somewhat
similar. In the afternoon we made a journey of three
more leagues, through a hilly, barren, grassy country,
and halted for the night in a hollow, by the side of a
small stream, a little beyond a Fazenda, called Viados.
After travelling about a league on the following morn-
ing, through a flattish country, we arrived at the Arraial
de Bom Km, an irregularly built village, consisting of a
church, and about forty or fifty houses, many of which
next I shall mention, to which the name of Capoeira is given ; such
wooded tracts are fonned by the small trees and shrubs, which spring
up in lands that have been cultivated or prepared for cultivation, by
destroying the virgin forests, which is generally effected by setting fire
to them ; the trees that then spi-ing up are always very distinct from
those which constituted their original vegetation.
2f
434 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
have a very dilapidated appearance ; we stopped here no
longer than was necessary to give a feed of com to the
horses, of which they stood greatly in need, the pastures
through which we now were passing, aflfording very little
nourishment. The principal shop in the village of
Bom Fim, belonged, as it did twenty years before, when
it was visited by M. Auguste de St, Hilaire, to Colonel
Pedro Jose Virciani, the proprietor of a large Fazenda
about two leagues distant, where he resides, the shop
being entrusted to a person in whom he confides ; this
practice I found to be not uncommon with rich Fazen-
deiros in this province. From the Vigario of Formigas
I obtained a Kne of route from this place to the Cidade
Diamantina, but being here informed of another road
having the double recommendation of being both better
and shorter, I determined on giving it the preference ; by
so doing, it became necessary to pass the Fazenda of San
Eloi belonging to the above mentioned Colonel Virciani.
On arriving there, I sent one of my men to ask leave to
remain till the following day, which was granted ; but on
learning that I was a foreigner, he immediately ordered
two good rooms to be prepared for me and my men, in a
house adjoining that in which he resides. On being
introduced to him, I found him to be an elderly man, of
hale appearance and of very pleasing manners ; I passed
the evening very agreably in his house, when he informed
me that M. Auguste de St. Hilaire remained a day and
night with him during the course of his journey to the
Rio de San Francisco, Although he made no mention
to me of the circumstance, I afterwards learned that
some observations made by that learned traveller and
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 435
botanist, in the account of his visit to San Eloi, had
much offended this worthy man. The obnoxious passage
was the following : — " Pendant tout le temps que je
passai chez le capitaine (for he was then only a captain)
Virciani, la maitresse de la maison ne se montra point ;
cependant, tandis que nous mangions, je voyais un minois
feminin s'avancer doucement a travers la porte entr'ou-
verte ; mais aussitot que je jetais les yeux de ce cote, la
dame dispandssait. C'est par une curiosite semblable
que les femmes cherchent a se dedommager du peu de
liberte dont on les laisse jouir/'*
The same lady was still alive, and I saw her every
time I was in the house, but twenty three years had made
great alterations on the pretty face of which St. Hiliore
had only a few glimpses. She had, however, several
daughters grown up, who were no less shy, than the
mother was in her younger days. As soon as the Colonel
ascertained that I was acquainted with the practice of
medicine, he talked upon no other subject, being, as he
said himself, a Curioso, which is the appellation given
to those who dabble in any profession, without having
been regularly educated to it. As a number of his slaves
were indisposed, I accompanied him on a visit to each in
succession, his object being to ascertain whether he was
treating them properly, and to have my advice respecting
their complaints. His usual guide in these matters, was a
Portuguese translation of Buchan's Domestic Medicine.
I found all over Brazil, individuals possessed of no better
information, who made a livelihood by their practice of
* Voyage dans les Provinas de Bio de Janeiro et de Minas Geracs,
t. 2. p. 350.
2 f2
436 TEAVELS IN BRAZIL.
medicine, passing from town to town, and from Fazenda to
Fazenda, many of them, like their brethren in Europe,
making large sums of money by their pretended skill in
this science.
This Fazenda was one of the best I had then seen in the
interior; the Colonel's house, whichwas of two stories, those
of his slaves, his store-houses, and other offices, were ar-
ranged in the form of a square ; near the house was a gar-
den, in which most of the common European vegetables
were cultivated with great care, and yielded good crops. It
was here that, for the first time since I left the coast at Ara-
caty, I saw water employed to drive a wheel, as a substitute
for manual labour, in the grinding of mandiocca, &c. ; this
wheel was about fifteen feet in diameter, and was well sup-
plied on the overshot principle, with water, from a small
stream that passed at some distance, conveyed in a well
constructed wooden aqueduct: this power served alike
for the grinding of mandiocca, of cane, of Indian com, and
for bruising castor oil seeds. The Colonel every year pre-
pares a considerable quantity of castor oil, which is of better
quahty than any I have seen made in other parts of Brazil ;
it is used principally for burning in lamps, but a little is also
employed medicinally. The property belonging to Colonel
Virciani, is well adapted both for the rearing of cattle, and
the cultivation of sugar cane, and it is from these sources
that he principally derives his large income. The mandi-
occa, Indian com, &c. which he cultivates, is grown in
quantities, not more than sufficient for the consumption
of his household and slaves. Besides an abundant supply
of corn for my horses, for which he would not accept
payment, the Colonel provided me with a small quantity
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 437
of tea, as my stock was then nearly exhausted, and none
could be purchased either in San Romao, or Formigas.
Colonel Virciani and his family used it constantly, pro-
curing at intervals an entire chest from Bio de Janeiro.
On the morning we left San Eloi we did not depart
tOl after breakfast ; so that we only accomplished a dis-
tance of about two leagues and a half, passing through an
elevated level country, lai^e tracts of which were covered
with low shrubs, forming that kind of vegetation called
, Carrasco ; we then halted for a short time under a large
Silk-Cotton tree, near an open marshy Campo, in which a
fine stemless Eriocatdon grew in great abundance. In
the afternoon we made another journey of about a league
and a half, through an upland, grassy, hilly countiy, and
towards dusk, arrived at the Fazenda do Sitio, which
belongs to the Guarda-Mor, Gonsalvo Christovao Pereira
d'Alcami, from whom, though I carried no letter of
recommendation to him, I received a most hospitable
reception ; rooms were immediately prepared for our use,
and during the day and a half we remained there, both
Mr. Walker and I were entertained at his table ; his
house, which is an excellent one of two stories, is situated
in a hollow, fix)m which the view of the hilly country in
the distance is very fine. I remained here a day longer
than I had intended, finding my collection of plants so
great, that it became necessary to arrange them ; this
occupied me a whole day, and I had fortunately the
assistance of a bright sunshine, which enabled me to dry
all the moist paper, and to place all the specimens in dry
sheets. A fine stream flowing from the hills, passes
close to the house, and in a walk I took along its banks
438 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL,
in the afternoon, I added many botanical novelties to my
collection. I was informed by our host, that in the
gravel of this stream, two or three diamonds had been
found, from which it was evident that we were now on
the verge of that district, to which this precious stone
gives its name. My collections having been all put into
order, I had resolved to resume the journey early next
morning, but in this I was disappointed in consequence
of one of my horses having strayed into the woods, and
therefore our departure was delayed till the afternoon.
I had here again the choice of two roads, one winding
round the foot of a very high Serra, which, although
longer, was much better than the other that passed over
the top of the Serra ; I preferred the latter on account of
the very different vegetation I expected to find there, but
as regarded the horses, which were not at all in good
condition, the former would have been the better. The
Guarda-Mor wished me to remain another night, in order
to avoid sleeping on the top of the mountain far from any
house, but as we were all much accustomed to this, it gave
us no concern, although afterwards, we had reason to
regret oiu: decision. Shortly after leaving the Fazenda, we
ascended a Serra of considerable height, barely wooded with
a few low shrubs, the greater part of which, consisted of
three species of Lychnophora, Continuing along the undu-
lating top of this, we reached another ascent, stony, and
difficult in the extreme for the horses, which terminated in
a rocky, and rather flat top of considerable length. This
place presented quite an alpine appearance ; the rugged
arenaceous schistose rocks, and even the ground, as well
as the small shrubs, had a houry appearance, from the
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 439
numerous Lichens by which they were covered ; and the
cold we experienced, was quite in unison with the aspect
of the country. With the exception of the elevated ranges
of the Organ mountains, this was the richest botanical
field I had met with during my long peregrinations ; bo
numerous indeed were the objects that presented them-
selves on every side, each more beautiful or more curious
than the other, that I was obliged to restrict myself in the
number of specimens collected, so that I might obtain at
least a few of each kind. The shrubs here consisted
of difiPerent species of Lychnopkoray beautifal Melastoma-
cea, a Virfftdaria, covered with rose-coloured blossoms,
several JByptiy a Panax &c. ; and among these grew many
curious kinds of Eriocaidotiy and other small herbaceous
plants. The soil here was rather boggy, and numerous
little rills of Umpid water were flowing down the moun-
tain in all directions. Leaving this flat, we entered upon
a third ascent, steeper and more stony than the previous
one, which shortly brought us to a flattish, grassy, some-
what shrubby tract ; on this ascent, a different vegetation
again presented itself, two of the most beautiful of the
plants being a species of PhysocalyXy a handsome shrub
about three feet high, with numerous orange-red flowers,
surrounded by a large inflated calyx of nearly the same
colour ; and a beautiful scarlet-flowered Lisianthm. We
proceeded on the flat top of this ridge about half a league,
every step yielding some new plant. It was quite dark
before we arrived at a place suitable for our encampment ;
this was a dry, sandy, grassy spot, by the side of the
path ; there were only a few small trees in the imme-
diate neighbourhood, and the men, by groping beneath
440 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
them, obtained as many dry sticks as sufficed to make a
small fire wherewith to cook our supper.
The sky was quite clear on our arrival, but shortly after-
wards a thunder storm was seen gathering to the westward,
and no sooner were we laid down on our hide beds, by the
side of the fire, than the rain began to fall, and having no
shelter of any kind, we were soon completely drenched,
the men, in their anxiety to keep the fire alight, held a
hide over it till the storm ceased. The flashes of lightning
were extremely vivid, and the peals of thunder fearfully
loud. After it had passed over, we made ourselves as
comfortable as our circumstances would permit, and
laid ourselves down, in the hope of not being again
disturbed. In this, however, we were sadly disappointed,
for shortly after we had fallen asleep, the storm returned
in all its fury, leaving us in a far worse state than we
had previously been. Those only who have passed a
night under such circumstances, can imagine the annoy-
ance we experienced ; could wc have foreseen the proba-
bility of its occurrence, we might have been better prepared
for it, but, in the middle of the dry season, we certainly
had no reason to expect so much rain. A third time
we laid ourselves down, not to sleep, because that was
now impossible cold and wet as we were, for the fire had
been completely extinguished by the quantity of rain that
had fallen.
When daylight broke, I found the place where we were
encamped to be one of the most lovely that can be con-
ceived, abounding in a variety of beautiful shrubs, and
many curious plants. We remained here till noon, in the
expectation that the sun would shine with force sufficient
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 441
to enable us to dry all the things that had been wetted
by the rain during the night, but the whole forenoon
continuing cloudy, we resolved to pursue our journey ; in
the morning, immediately after breakfast, I returned with
one of my men to the top of the last ascent we had passed
the night before ; and made several other shorter excursions
in the vicinity of the encampment, by which, many inter-
esting novelties were added to my collections. We did
not start till shortly after midday, when, after a fatiguing
journey of three long leagues, we arrived at a very re-
cently established Gold working, calledLavrinha. Our route
was entirely along the flat top of the Serra, sometimes pass-
ing through large open grassy tracts, abounding in nume-
rous kinds of Eriocaidon^ Melastomacea, CompositcB^ a blue
flowered LupintiSy a small Virgulafia with pale rose-co-
loured flowers, great profusion of a purple VeUozia, and the
beautiful scarlet-flowered Lmanthus, &c. ; and sometimes
through rugged tracts thinly wooded with small shrubs,
among them, numerous Melaatomacea, many of them
with smaU imbricated leaves, and large rose-coloured
blossoms, forming the most elegant little bushe ima-
ginable, in general habit not unlike heaths. Although
this journey was very fatiguing to the animals, to me it
was exciting and deUghtful in the extreme ; the whole
country through which we had passed for nearly two
days, was one vast flower garden, where, ' like a child at
a feast ', I knew not which object to grasp at first, every
thing was not only new to me, but each more beautiful,
or more curious than the other. In this upland region a
solemn silence reigned, not a single animal of any descrip-
tion having been observed during our progress through
442 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
it, nor any sound heard except that made by ourselves.
We reached Lavrinha about five o'clock in the afternoon ;
and although the sun shone brillantly during the better
part of our journey, it was too late to attempt drying any
of our things, when we arrived. Lavrinha, as I have
already stated, is a small Gold wo^ng, then but recently
established. The only buildings near it, were a small hut,
made of a few posts and poles, covered with Biuiti palm
leaves, where the overseer slept, and a few sheds of the
same materials, for the shelter of the slaves ; we obtained
accommodation in one comer of the former. A small
stream that passes close by, but which is only supplied
with water in the rainy season, had offered some indica-
tions of Gold, which induced some rich Fazendeiros,
among whom were Colonel Virciani, and the Guarda-
Mor, to form themselves into a society, six months before
my visit, with the object of estabhshing a working;
accordingly, about forty slaves were sent to carry on the
operations, under the directions of the person who first
discovered the Gold, and who, for his labour, obtained a
number of shares in the concern. The vein from which
the Gold found in this small stream had been washed, was
discovered proceeding downwards through a soft white
arenaceous schistose rock, and at the period of my visit,
they had mined to the depth of about thirty feet. I found
them then occupied in washing the material they had
taken out, which proved to be veiy uncertain in its
product, some days yielding one, two, and three ounces
of Gold, but more frequently the amount was less than
an ounce. A short time before our arrival, as much as
four ounces resulted from a single days labour, but it had
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 443
again diminished to less than an ounce; it appeared to
me, from the awkward manner in which the works
were then carried on, that they would never turn to pro-
fitable account, as the person in charge of the operations,
was not only quite ignorant of the art of mining, but un-
acquainted with the most simple operations in mechanics.
While employed in the labour of excavating, a consider-
able amount of water was constantly flowing into the
mine from two springs, and this was again drawn out in
buckets, by hand labour, continued both day. and night,
whereas a pump, of no large diameter, would have served
to carry off the water more quickly and effectually, and
saved the labour of at least ten or twelve men ; when
I mentioned this to the manager, he told me, that no one
in the neighbourhood had the smallest idea of the construc-
tion of a pump. Even a common winch and buckets, would
have been far better than the plan here adopted, but such
was the low state of their mechanical knowledge, that they
knew not how to construct even so simple a machine.
The following day being one of clear sunshine, we were
occupied all the forenoon in drying our wet clothes, and in
arranging the large collection of specimens, made the day
before ; and in the afternoon, I took several short walks in
the neighbourhood in quest of novelties. Lavrinha is si-
tuated on the southern extremity of the Serra, in a hollow,
surrounded by rocky hills, somewhat lower than those which
form the more northern parts of the Serra. Here I again
made numerous collections, among which, were two fine
Orchideous plants, both species of the beautiful genus
Lcelia^ one of them bearing violet-coloured, and the other
bright yeUow flowers. In dry arid clefts in the rocks grew
444 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
several curious little Vellozias, and Eriocaulons ; one of
the latter was a branched species about six feet high.
Having so frequently mentioned this curious tribe of
plants, I will here make a few observations upon them.
When Linnseus published the last edition of his J^ecies
Plantarum, in 1764, he described only five species, from
all parts of the world, while from Brazil alone, my herba-
rium contains upwards of one hundred. Only one
species is found in Great Britain, a Utile grass-like plant,
with a single flowering stem about six inches long, bear-
ing a small globular head of minute white flowers. It is
found only in lakes in the Isle of Skye, and in the west of
Ireland. Very few of the Brazilian plants bear much
resemblance to this northern species, for a great number
of them are large suffruticose plants, often obtaining a
height of from four to six feet, with leafy, very much
branched stems, each branchlet terminated by a large
white ball, composed of a vast number of smaller heads,
placed on peduncles of unequal length. Another remark-
able circumstance connected with these strange plants, is
the fact, that the greater number of the BraziUan species
do not inhabit water, in the manner of our native British
one, but grow in the most dry and arid portions of moun-
tainous decUvities ; many others also grow in parched,
flat, sandy places, which are flooded in the wet season ;
the truly aquatic Brazilian kinds, more or less resemble
our own in habit.*
Shortly after leaving Lavrinha, we began to descend the
Serra, which, on this side, is of no great height ; the road
* Since my return to England, I have described several of these
curious plants, in the sixth vol. of Hooker's ' Icones Flantanim.'
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 445
was very bad, turning and winding among large blocks
of rock, and covered with loose stones, which rolled under
the horses feet, and rendered our downward progress not
a Uttle dangerous. Having at length accomplished the
descent, we found ourselves on a comparatively good road,
and in a flat country, being, in fact, a large valley sur-
rounded by hills, and presenting several small swamps
where a few Buriti palms grew, but which, from their
diminutive stature, compared with those we had seen in
similar situations in the provinces of Piauhy and Goyaz,
did not appear to thrive under the great degree of cold to
which they are here exposed. After travelling about two
leagues and a half, we halted during the middle of the
day, in a shady place by the side of a small rivulet, oppo-
site a rounded knoll, which was covered with Lychnophora
pinaster y bearing much resemblance to the Scotch Fir, and
a large kind of tree-lily. Proceeding in the afternoon
through the same valley, which had now become gradually
narrower, and which was bounded by two long ranges of
bare grassy hills, we arrived about sunset, on the banks
of a small river, called the Rio Inhacica, and took up our
quarters for the night, in the open veranda of a small Venda,
the only house in the place ; we fully expected to have
purchased here some addition to our stock of provisions,
but the only article to be found for sale, was rum ; not long
after our arrival, however, a person belonging to the house,
returned from the river with a fine fish, about a foot and
a half long, which I gladly bought for a small sum, and
it afforded us an excellent supper. While engaged in
arranging my plants, and placing the specimens in paper,
I was surprised to hear from the proprietor of the Venda,
446 TRAVELS IN BllAZTL.
a middle aged mulatto, who was standing by looking on,
that he also was well acquainted with that kind of occu-
pation, having been in the employment of Drs. Spix and
Martins, during their excursions in the provinces of
Minas Ge):aes, Goyaz, and Bahia ; he spoke in the highest
terms of the kindness he received from these travellers,
and the pleasant life he led while in their service, the only
drawback to which, was the great trouble he often expe-*
rienced in drying the paper, for preserving their botanical
specimens ; this I could well believe, as I found from ex-
perience, that the men did not at all reUsh such labour,
being often obUged, in cloudy and rainy weather, to dry
every day several reams, sheet by sheet, over the &e.
The mulatto, being the ferryman, passed the luggage
safely over to the opposite side of the river in a canoe ;
we were again annoyed by our too frequent cause of de-
tention, the straying of one of the horses, which was not
found till near mid-day, so that we were not able to ac-
complish that day, more than about three leagues. The
country still continued flat, with the exception of one or
two low, dry, gravelly hills, that we passed over ; in many
places, particularly in the hollows, it was pretty well
wooded with small evergreen trees. The day was very
hot and sultry, and as I suffered much from a severe head-
ache, I was extremely glad when we arrived early in the
afternoon at our destination, which was a little hamlet,
consisting of about half a dozen houses, called As Var-
gems ; we were allowed to take up our quarters in an
open shed, belonging to one of the houses, used for the
preparation of farinha de mandiocca, in which process
several persons were then employed. The wheel used
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 447
for grinding the root, was driven by a small water-wheel,
which, although very rudely constructed, answered the
purpose extremely well, and saved much manual labour.
The little streams of water, which are so frequent in the
hilly districts of the province of Minas Geraes, aflford the
inhabitants great advantages over those of the dry north-
ern provinces. This was only the second time I had
seen water power applied to such purposes, but in travel-
ling further south, I found it generally used. The people
belonging to the house where we rested, were nearly
white, and appeared to be very poor, but they were very
civil and kind.
A journey of about a league and a half from As
Vargems, through a flat valley, bounded on the right by a
high bare rocky Serra, brought us to another small stream,
called Rio Inhahy, which, being here of no inconvenient
depth, the horses forded in safety, with all the luggage. On
a rising ground, a little beyond the river, we observed a
large house, close to what appeared to be the ruins of a
church, but we afterwards learned, that it was a R^isto,
or place where all travellers, who passed into or out of the
Diamond district proper, of which this is one of the boun-
daries, were duly examined, in order to prevent any
contraband extraction of diamonds, a system of precau-
tion, that was chiefly in vigour prior to the independence
of Brazil, when the workings of this precious stone were
carried on entirely by the government. On reaching the
house, we found it uninhabited, and fast falling into a
state of decay ; we took possession of one of the largest
apartments, which being well roofed, afforded us better
shelter from the sun, than we could have obtained under
448 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the shade of a tree. It was late in the afternoon before
we left this place, having employed the morning in repair-
ing the horses trappings, and we did not accomplish more
than half a league of our journey, our route being, for
the greater part of the way, over a bare grassy hill, where
I found a few shrubs in flower ; we encamped for the
night under some trees in a hollow, by the side of a little
limpid stream. Another short journey of somewhat more
than half a league, brought us early in the forenoon of
the following day, to a place known by the name of
Bassoras and Areas, on the banks of the Bio Jiquitinhonha.
Although this river is not very large here, we found it
too deep to venture the luggage upon the horses backs,
and as there was no canoe, no alternative remained, but
to have it carried over on the heads of the men ; this
occupied so much time, that we found it too late to
proceed further before breakfast.
I was afterwards glad that we were obliged to remain
here, as it afforded me an opportunity of witnessing the
operations carried on in one of the largest Diamond
mines, if not the largest, at this time worked in the
district. The principal house in this place, belonged to
Captain Jose d' Almeida e Silva, who was also the pro-
prietor of the mine ; as no large tree could be found under
which we could take shelter, I was directed to the house
of the captain, who would be most likely to afford us
accommodation, during the short time we intended to
remain here, and seeing him at the door, I accosted him
with this view, when he politely informed me, that the
only place he could give us, was an open shed, to which
he pointed, where some black carpenters were at work.
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 449
About half an hour after we had established ourselves in
this not very comfortable place, and while employed in
arranging the collections made during my mornings ride,
the captain having learned the nature of my occupation,
came over to oflfer me the use of an empty room in his
house, but as all my luggage was now unpacked, I
thanked him for his kindness and declined his invitation ;
he, however, politely pressed me to retrain all day, that I
might see how the mining operations were carried on.
About an hour after we arrived, a troop of several mules
came in from one of his Fazendas, with provisions for his
slaves, and very soon after, he sent me a present of fruit,
consisting of a basket of fine oranges, and another of
Jabuticabas, both of which we greatly enjoyed, as we
had not tasted fruit of any kind for a long time. The
Jabuticaba is the fruit of a species of Eugenia {E, cauli-
fiora, Mart.), which grows wild in the woods of the south
of Brazil, and is also cultivated in most of the gardens
in the Diamond and Gold districts. It is of a black
colour, about the size of a green-gage plum, of a pulpy
consistence, and very refreshing.
The mine of Captain Almeida was close to the Rio Ji-
quitinhonha, upon an elbow of land that at one time
must have formed the bed of the river ; a mine in the
neighbourhood had been worked by the government
about forty years ago, which yielded, in the course of
three years, not less than thirty-seven lbs. six drs. of
diamonds ;* the formation, as it is called, becoming ex-
* For an excellent description of tlie Diamond mines, and an
account of the manner in which the workings were carried on while
under the administration of the government, the reader is referred to
2g
460 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
hausted at the end of this period, the mine was aban-
doned ; in the expectation of similar good fortune^ Capt.
Almeida commenced operations near the same place,
about seven months before my visit, with upwards of a
hundred and fifty slaves, all of whom were hired from his
neighbours. At an expense of about £1,000 sterling, he
brought a small stream of water from a distance of a
league and a half, opened a large excavation, and erected
pumps, worked by a water-wheel, for the purpose of
clearing the mine of water. The excavation was carried
on to the depth of about thirty feet, without encountering
any proper diamond formation, although on being washed,
it yielded a small number of stones, of no great value.
A short time before my arrival, he commenced another
excavation in the same neighbourhood, about forty yards
square. The different kinds of soil through which it
was necessary to cut, before reaching the deposit in which
the diamonds were found, were in the first place, about
twenty feet of a reddish sandy soil, which was loosened
by the hoe, and then washed into the river by a current
of water; issuing from the small stream that served to work
the water wheel ; below this was about eight feet of a
tough yellowish clay, which was dug out by the hoe, and
carried away on the heads of negroes, in flat wooden
bowls, about a foot and a half in diameter, no such imple-
ment as a barrow being known here ; beneath this clay
appeared a layer of coarse reddish sand, about two feet
and a half in thickness, below which was found the
pecuUar soil that contains the diamonds. When this
the work of M. Auguste de Saint Hilaire. * Voyage dans le district des
Diamans et sur le Littoral du Br&il,' Paris 1833.
SAN ROMAO TO THE PIAMONB DISTRICT. 451
diamond formation consists of loose gravel, it is called
Cascalho in the language of the miners, and Canga, when
found in the shape of a ferruginous conglomerate ; this
bed varies from one to four feet in thickness, and the
gravel of which it is composed, consists of small pebbles
of primitive rocks, which, from their rounded and poUshed
nature, have evidently at some distant period, formed the
bed of a stream of running water; these pebbles are
of various kinds, but when there appears much of what
they call Esmeril preto, a variety of tourmaline, the
Cascalho is considered to be rich in diamonds. The
Cascalho generally rests upon a substratum of a kind of
hard clay called Pizarra, beneath which are found the
solid schistose rocks, which generally prevail throughout
the whole Diamond district. Sometimes Canga, or the
agglutinated gravel, rests upon a rock called Marmore,
which appeared, from the description of it given by
Captain Almeida, to be a kind of Umestone ; and when
this occurs, it is always found to be rich in diamonds.
The manner in which the washing of the Cascalho is
carried on, is the following ; along one side of a pond of
water, is placed a range of eleven troughs, about three
feet square, made of smaU straight stakes driven into the
ground, the side next to the water, being much lower
than the others ; the bottom is made of clay closely
rammed down ; these troughs are called Bacos, and into
each of them, a portion of Cascalho is put by a slave
stationed there for that purpose ; immediately in front of
each Bao6, stands a slave up to his knees in water, having
a large flat wooden plate (Bateia), with which he dashes
water upon the Cascalho with considerable force; by
2 g2
452 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
this means, and by stirring it at frequent intervals with
a small kind of hoe, it is freed from the earth and sand
with which it is mixed, when the larger particles of gravel
making their appearance on the surface, are taken out ; it
is during this process that the largest diamonds are
generally found. Immediately in front of these troughs,
and about three feet above the level of the ground,
separate seats are erected for two overseers, each armed
with a long leathern whip, who keep a strict look-out, that
no diamonds are stolen. This labour is continued from
morning till about four o'clock in the afternoon, when
the Cascalho, thus washed and purified, is taken out of
the Bacos, and carried to the side of a little stream of
running water, to be finally washed. On accompanying
the Captain to witness the performance of this operation,
which to the stranger is the most interesting process in
diamond mining, I found seven slaves, seated on the
side of a small canal about four feet broad, with their
legs in the water nearly up to their knees ; this little
stream of running water is called the Lavadeira. Each
of the slaves had a large flat wooden plate, similar to that
used in washing the rough Cascalho, into which a small
shovelful of the purified Cascalho, was put by a slave
stationed behind the others, for that purpose. This done,
the washer filled the Bateia with water, and whirling it
round in a peculiar manner on the surface of the stream,
the larger gravel rose to the top, and was carefully
examined. This being repeated several times, he then
placed the Bateia on his knees, the right knee being
considerably lower than the left, when with his hand he
threw water on the fine gravel, which was thus washed
6AN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 453
out vnth great care into the canal, continuing in this
manner until the Bateia was empty ; it is in this last
process that diamonds are expected to be found. A
small Bateia, containing a little water, was placed on a
low pedestal, between the two overseers, and into this the
diamonds were put, as they were found, which on this
occasion amounted to eleven, all of which, however,
were small. In the bottom of the Bateias is always
found a small quantity of gold dust, which is carefully
preserved.
Although diamonds are usually found in the diluvial
gravelly soil above described, that is not however the
matrix in which they have originally been formed.
Whatever may be the case in other countries, I remained
perfectly satisfied that here, they have originally been
formed in the metamorphic quarto-schistose rock, of which
the mountains in the Diamond district are constituted,
and that they have, during a long series of years, been
washed dovra along with the other debris, to the places
where they are now found so abundantly. These rocks
are rather soft in their nature, and of course easily dis-
integrated ; hence the many wild ravines which intersect
this range, excavated by the small streams that flow jfrom
it. Small masses of the rock have frequently been found
containing diamonds imbedded in them ; in the Cidade
Diamantina I saw two beautiftd specimens, in each of
which, one half of a small diamond was exposed ; the ex-
travagant price asked for them, prevented me from pur-
chasing either.
When we read in books, that the diamond is a pro-
duction of the most recent geological epoch, as stated, for
464 TRAVBLS IN BRAZIL.
instance, by Dr. A. Petzholdt in Jamieson's Journal,
No. 68, we cannot help imagining that those who promul-
gate such opinions, have been led astray by travellers,
who have listened to the idle stories of the uneducated
inhabitants of Diamond countries, who almost aU assert,
that diamonds are regenerated in the course of a few
years, in the soil from which others had previously been
taken. This I found to be a very common opinion in
Brazil ; but those best able to form a just conclusion on
the subject, for instance such intelligent miners, as Captain
Jose D'Almeida e Silva, believe otherwise. It is true
that he, as well as others, have frequently a second time
washed the same Cascalho that had been worked when
the government held the monopoly in its own hands, not
because they believed new diamonds to have been since
formed, but because they well knew, that in those times,
the Cascalho was not so carefully examined as it is at
present ; indeed notwithstanding the most careful scrutiny,
it is believed that some diamonds still escape notice.
We resumed our journey on the following morning,
and after travelling about two leagues and a half, we
halted to breakfast in an open shed, belonging to a house
by the road side, which was then uninhabited. The
country through which we passed, was hilly and well
wooded with small trees and shrubs. The ascent and
descent of the higher hills, are much facilitated by the
care bestowed on the formation of the roads, as they are
well paved with large flat blocks of the sclustose rocks
of which the mountains are composed. In many places,
however, the pavement is beginning to give way, from the
water flowing over it in the rainy season, and if not
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 455
repaired, it will soon fall into a very ruinous state.
A wooden bridge also, which crossed a small river, and
which appears to have been at one time of excellent
constntction, was now in such a decayed state, that no
one could venture to pass over it ; we were consequently
obliged to ford the stream a Uttle way below the bridge.
In the bed of the river we saw several groups of people
washing for diamonds. Early in the afternoon, we
started for the Arraial de Mendanha, only half a league
distant ; the road led through a flat bushy valley, sur-
rounded on both sides by mountains, those on the left
rose to a considerable height, and presented the same
bare arid rocky aspect as the mountains in the Highlands
of Scotland. In the middle of this valley ran the Bio
Jiquitinhonha, which we crossed, to reach the village on
the opposite side, this was easily accomplished over a well
constructed wooden bridge of considerable span, on
which is a toll-bar, the first we had yet met with in the
country, and this afforded evidence, that we were now
approaching a more civilized part of Brazil, than any we
had yet traversed. At this bar, I had to pay forty reis
for each loaded horse, and twenty for each of my men,
which I did with much pleasure, as I well knew the
labour and risk encountered in passing the luggage over
rivers, when not provided with bridges. On enquiring
for a place where we might pass the night, we were
directed to the public Bancho, but finding it a small
place, extremely dirty, and occupied by a number of
black Tropehros, I could not think of taking up my
quarters there. Banchos are large sheds generally open
at the sides, and built near a venda, for the accommoda-
456 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tion of travellers. This was the first T had seen since
leaving the coast, but I afterwards found them very com-
mon on the more frequented roads in Minas, but par-
ticidarly on the great highway, between the Gold district
and Rio de Janeiro. Rather than remain at the Rancho,
I preferred hiring an empty house for the night, and
obtained, at last, after some trouble, the keys of one that
was newly built.
The Arraial de Mendanha appeared to be a flourishing
little place, containing a population of about eight
hundred persons, nearly every house being inhabited.
The situation of the village, although romantic, is far from
fertile, being on the bare rocky bottom of a high moun-
tain, which nearly overhangs it, with Utile or no ground
in its vicinity fitted for plantations of any description.
The greater part of the inhabitants obtain an income by
employing their slaves in mining for diamonds, or by
keeping shops to supply the others with provisions and
clothing, principally in exchange for diamonds and gold-
dust, and were it not indeed, for the diamond mines
that exist in the neighbourhood, not a single house would
have been erected in this place. Soon after leaving
Mendanha on the following day, we began the ascent of
the Serra, which bears the same name ; it was about a
league in length, and notwithstanding its steepness in
many places, the excellence of the road rendered it com-
paratively easy. In nearly its whole extent, it is well
paved with large flat blocks of the sandy schistose rock,
of which the Serra is formed, taking a zigzag direction,
where the ascent is steepest ; the lower part of the Serra,
particularly along a deep ravine, by the side of which the
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 457
road leads, is pretty well wooded with small trees and
shrubs, but towards the summit, it presents the same bare
alpine appearance as that we had crossed before reach-
ing the little gold mine at Lavrinha. I walked up the
greater part of the ascent on foot, botanizing all the way,
and picked up several novelties. From the summit to
Duas Pontes, which is a league distant, the road leads
through a flat rocky and bushy country, with some ele-
vated ridges on the left, covered with a very stunted
shrubby vegetation. At Duas Pontes, where we halted
to breakfast, we found two houses, being the only ones
existing between Mendanha, and the Cidade Diamantina,
a distance of four leagues ; the place takes its name from
two bridges which exist near it, standing about a mile
distant from each other, both very well constructed of
timber. One of the houses was a small Venda belonging
to a negro, who informed me that he was a native of
Africa, and had worked for many years as a slave in
diamond washing, but that by the provident use of his
privilege of working on his own account on Sundays and
holidays, he had been fortunate enough to find as many
diamonds as enabled him, not only to purchase his
freedom, but that also of his wife and several children.
Near this place I found a species of Buius loaded with
fruit, which forcibly reminded me of the days of my boy-
hood, and the bramble hedges of my native country. In
open places, I met with a few specimens of a second species
of Phyaocalyx, and a beautiful And/romeda^ having large
panicles of crimson flowers. We were now only two
leagues distant from the Cidade Diamantina, a journey
that might easly have been accomphshed that afternoon,
458 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
but not wishing to enter it by nighty owing to the great
difficulty a stranger always experiences in finding accom*
modation, as well for himself as for his animals ; under
such circumstances, I resolved to take up my abode for
the night, in an open Campo on the top of the Sena,
near a small stream of water, within half a league from
the city. The country through which we passed on this
short journey, was almost entirely destitute both of trees
and shrubs, consisting chiefly of large undulating grassy
Campos, in many places abounding in great blocks of
rocks, similar to that of which the Serra is composed.
Two miles before reaching the place where we halted, we
obtained a most extensive view of the country to the
eastward, which is perhaps one of the most rugged,
and arid regions existing in Brazil; as far as the eye
could reach, nothing was to be seen but hundreds of bare
hills, whose barren tops were whitened by the numerous
Lichens with which the rocks were covered. Overlooking
these lower ridges stood the lofty peak called Itambe,
the top of which is upwards of 6,000 feet above the level
of the sea. It was with great difficulty the men could
find as much wood as would make a small fire to cook
our supper, and we were obliged, for the first time, to
lay ourselves down to sleep without a large fire burning
all night, at a time too, when the cold was greater than
any we had yet experienced.
On rising in the morning, the thermometer indicated
54°, Fah*-, under which temperature we were all shivering
with excessive cold, so long accustomed as we had been
to a warmer climate. In an hour's time, after resuming
our journey, we commenced the descent of the Serra, over
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 459
a road constructed in the same manner as the ascent at
Mendanha, but neither so long nor so steep; shortly
after which, we came in sight of the famous Cidade Dia-
mantina> or city of Diamonds ; this capital of a rich pro-
vince, occupies the whole acclivity -of a Serra, equal in
height to that we had just descended, from which it is
separated by a narrow valley. The traveller approaches
the city so suddenly, that it ahnost appears as if called
into existence by the power of magic ; he is astonished
at the sight of so great an assemblage of large white
washed houses, intermingled with many churches, rising
gradually one above the other along the steep sides of
the Serra, together with the numerous small plantations,
by which the houses in the suburbs are surrounded,
consisting of orange trees, bananas, and the usual produc-
tions of a tropical country ; together with abundance of
the compact growing Jabuticabeira, and many fine trees of
the large grotesque Brazilian pine {Jraucaria Brasiliana),
which contrasts strangely with the rocky and absolutely
bare country, that surrounds the city on all side: it is,
indeed, an Oasis in the desert.
Having no letters of recommendation to any person in
the city, I went immediately, on my arrival, to the house
of the Juiz de Paz, to present my passport, and learning
irom him, that a small inn was to be found in the lower
part of the city, I determined to put up there, until I
could succeed in hiring an empty house for a few days ;
fortunately, the landlord had one to let, in the upper
part of the city, whither we quickly removed, glad that
we were not obliged to remain at the inn, where the ac-
commodations were far from tempting.
460 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Tliis place, formerly known as the Arraial de Tijuco,
was, in the year 1839, elevated to the dignity of a city,
under the name of Cidade Diamantina, from its being
the capital of the Diamond district. According to infor-
mation which I receiyed &om the Juiz de Paz, its popu-
lation amounted to about 6,000 souls ; the streets are
very irregular, and generally veiy narrow, as well as badly
paved ; both within the city, and in the suburbs, there
are many fine houses, of two and three stories, and as
there is abundance of excellent stone in the neighbour-
hood, nearly all are built of this material ; they are con-
structed, however, at an enormous expense, owing to the
great distance from which timber can be obtained ; it is
all dragged by bullocks from the Sertao, a distance of
from four to sixteen leagues, over a rugged, hilly country,
through which carts cannot pass ; owing to the same rea-
son, fire wood is extremely dear in the city, and veiy bad
in quality, as it is often brought for sale in a half green
state. Many slaves are employed by their owners in cut-
ting the large shrubs that grow in the ravines, within a
short distance from the city, the branches of which are
made up into bundles, and offered for sale, from house to
house ; the stems of the large tree-lily {Vellozia) are also
collected for fuel, particularly a kind that exudes abun-
dance of resinous matter. The Tropeiros on approaching
the city with their loaded mules, always bring with them,
from the wooded countries, as many bundles of split
wood, as suffice them for purposes of cooking, till the
period of their departure.
Many of the shops are quite equal in appearance to
those in Rio de Janeiro, and are provided with nearly the
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 461
same articles, the difference in price seldom exceeding
twenty per cent ; all European goods, with the exception
of a few &om Bahia, are brought from Kio on the backs
of mules, which are daily to be seen arriving in troops,
sometimes of a hundred at a time ; with the exception of
the few vegetables grown in the gardens around the city,
every product consumed here as food, is brought from a
distance of from ten to twenty leagues, and sold in two
large market places, called Intendencias. These products
consist chiefly of farinha de mandiocca, and Indian meal,
the latter being much more extensively used in the
province of Minas, than in the northern provinces; abo,
dried beef, sugar, pork, cheese, Indian com, french beans,
rice, and castor-oU, which is used to bum in lamps. The
city contains three or four handsome churches, one called
Nossa Senhora da Rosaria, belongs to the negroes from
the coast of Africa, and where, over the high altar, is seen
the figure of a black virgin. As we lived close to this
church, I attended on several evenings, the celebration of
one of its festivals, and found, not only the blacks who
usually attend the church, but many of the most re-
spectable male and female inhabitants of the city. Every
thing was conducted with the greatest propriety, and on
one evening I heard a very excellent sermon preached
by one of the priests belonging to the city. During our
stay a Novena was held in another of the churches,
Nossa Senhora das Merces, where I attended several
times ; on all these occasions I was particularly struck
with the different mode in which the ladies dressed here,
from that I had observed in other parts of the interior.
In the large towns I had previously visited, I remarked
462 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
that a greater number of ladies attended church during
the Novenas then any other time, when both the more
respectable, as well as the poorer classes, were always
dressed in their best attire ; in the Cidade Diamantina,
although the churches on such occasions were equally
well attended, the most respectable ladies were not so
well dressed as usual, and were it not that the superior
classes avail themselves of the privilege of squatting on
the floor before the altar, they would not be distinguished
from the poorer individuals who take their station behind
them. They all appear in the same kind of dress, which
consists of a dark coloured cloth cloak, with a lai^ cape,
in which they muffle themselves ; and a white handker-
chief which is tied round the head, surmounted by a
man's hat. During the three weeks I remained in the
ci<7, 1 never saw a lady waDdng abroad in any other
kind of hat ; some few were white, but black seemed
the most fashionable.
The most elevated portion of the city is about 4,000
feet above the level of the sea, and the climate is con-
sequently mild. During my stay in the month of July,
the thermometer ranged firom 54^ to 60^ at noon, a
temperature we had long been unaccustomed to, and we
suffered not a little from the cold. As a fire could only
be kindled in the kitchen, we used all to get as close to it
as possible, particularly in the morning ; it was however
during the night that we suffered most, for our bed-
clothes were too light for this climate, and my stock of
money had now become so far reduced, that I could not
afford to purchase additional blankets either for myself or
my men. It was necessary to devote the little that I had,
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 463
to the purchase of a stock of proYisions, for the continuation
of our journey ; there was no one here to whom I could
apply for money^ and we were still far from any of the
English Mining establishments, where alone I could
expect to obtain cash for bills on my agents in Rio de
Janeiro. The coldest months in this region are May,
June, and July ; the hottest months are those of Novem-
ber, Januaiy, and February, during which period, the
thermometer ranges from 74° to 88°, but mostly only
reaching 84°. During the early part of the wann season^
thunder storms are very frequent, which always came
from the north. For a few days after our arrival, the air
was clear and bracing, but a cold drizzling rain soon set
in, which lasted nearly a week. The houses have gene-
rally a small gard^ attached to them, in which I observed
most of the common European vegetables, such as
potatoe, cabbage, pease, lettuce, parsley &c. ; as well as
many of the flowers that are ordinarily cultivated in the
gardens of Europe. Some of the European fruit trees
are also found in the gardens, such as the apple, pear,
peach, fig, and quince. The city is abundantly supplied
with excellent water, from springs that take their rise in
the mountain on which it is situated. These streams are
conducted into several of the houses, and many families
are by this means, supplied with one of the greatest
luxuries that can be enjoyed in a warm climate, at a very
small expence ; there are also several public fountains in
different parts of the city.
The privilege of diamond washing, formerly a mono-
poly of the government, is now accessible to any indi-
vidual who chooses to risk his time and capital in
464 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
this labour, a privilege only conceded since Brazil has
declared its independence ; all that is required, is that
the adventurer should give notice to the Camara muni-
cipal, of the exact spot where he intends working, a notice
demanded, in order to protect some of the virgin tracts
still preserved as royal property. The greater portion of
the inhabitants of the Cidade Diamantina who possess a
few slaves, employ them in the washings, which are
generally chosen in places where the Cascalho is near the
surface, and near the beds of the little mountain streams,
which are so numerous in the adjoining locality. Many
free blacks also work on their own account, and thus
obtain a precarious livelihood. The persons engaged in
these adventures are generally a very improvident race,
for even those who carry on the most extensive Servi908,
as the workings are called, often run deeply in debt
after a rich washing has been exhausted, before they
succeed in finding another productive spot. I was
assured by one of the most extensive miners in the
district, that the excitement produced by this kind of life,
is like that of a gambler, whoever enters upon it, never
renounces it. The district which gives rise to this
curious source of industry, is comprised within the space
of fourteen leagues square, and it is beneath the mark to
state, that 10,000 individuals subsist entirely upon the
product of diamonds and gold extracted from its soil.
It is not however so much the miners, as the shopkeepers,
who reap the greater share of profit from this source of
industry, all of whom trade more or less in diamonds
and gold-dust, which they take from the miners in
exchange for the supply of their own wants, and those of
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 465
their slaves. It is rare to meet with a miner, who is not
in debt to some shopkeeper, to whom he is bound to give
in pajrment the product of his washings, at a lower rate
than he could obtain, if he had the advantage of offering
them, in an open market to the highest bidder. The life of
a shopkeeper, although not so exciting as that of a miner,
is one however less subject to risk, he generally soon
grows rich, while the poor miner struggles on in poverty,
his greatest source of happiness existing in hopes that are
seldom realized.
Slaves are allowed to work on their own account on
Sundays and holidays, not in the Servifos of their
masters, but any where else, except on the royal pre-
serves ; and it was told me as a remarkable fact, that most
of the largest diamonds obtained in this district, have
been found by slaves on these occasions ; it is not how-
ever an unfair inference to conclude, that as the blacks
are most expert thieves, some of those stones at least
have been stolen. Better opportunities now exist for
more readily disposing of diamonds thus obtained, than
when the workings were entirely in the hands of the
government. In those days they were mostly disposed
of clandestinely to contraband dealers, many of whom
used to hide themselves in the moigitains by day, and at
night, visit the huts of the slaves, to purchase the stolen
property ; even the shopkeepers were deeply engaged in
these illicit transactions. The Juiz de Paz, who was
during the period of my visit, one of the richest
merchants in the city, owes his fortune to the following
circumstance. At the time Brazil still remained under
the dominion of Portugal, he was the proprietor of a
2h
466 TKAVELS IN BRAZIL.
small shop, and occasionally made a journey to Rio
de Janeiro to purchase goods. One evening returning
from one of these long journies, having retired to rest
earUer than usual, he heard some one knocking at his
door, to which at first he paid no attention, concluding
it to be only some customer, but, as the noise continued,
he at last arose, when he saw a slave who had come to
offer a large diamond for sale, that weighed about two
penny-weights and a third. The price asked for it was
six hundred mil-reis, at that time equal to about £180
sterling, but not having so much money in his possession
at the moment, he was obliged to borrow some for the
occasion. Early next morning he set off on his return
to Rio de Janeiro, with his purchase, stating to his
friends that he had forgotten some important business
which could only be settled by his presence. On
reaching the capital, he found it necessary to use great
caution in endeavouring to dispose of his prize, as all
trade in diamonds was at that time contraband, any one
found dealing in them being condemned to ten years
transportation to Angola, on the coast of Africa, his
property being at the same time confiscated, and sold
for the benefit of government. At last he was prevailed
upon to dispose of it for 20,000 mO-reis, about £6,000,
which amount was paid to him in hard dollars ; never
having seen so large a simi of money, he was perfectly
astonished at its amount when it was brought to him, and
after regarding it for some time, he asked with great
simphcity if it all belonged to him. Shortly afterwards,
the individual who bought the diamond, sold it for
40,000 mil-reis, and when the Juiz learned its great
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 4C7
value, and found that he might have sold it for at least
a third more than he received, his mortification it is said
was so great as to affect his mind. He has long how-
ever recovered from his chagrin, and is now one of the
most active, as well as the most extensive Gold and
Diamond merchants in the district.
The temperate climate enjoyed by the inhabitants of
this part of the country, renders them more healthy than
those who live in the Sertao ; the women are the most
beautiful I met with in BrazU, and the men are also a
finer race than those of the low countries, many of them
having more the appearance of Europeans, than of inha-
bitants of a tropical climate. The diseases most common
here, are those induced by sudden variations of tempera-
ture, such as colds, and inflammatory complaints ; the
slaves who are constantly working up to their knees in
water, are subject to rheumatism; their diet, which is
not of the most nutritious nature, consists chiefly of
boiled French beans, and Indian com meal, (fuba) which,
with the addition of hot water, is made into a thick paste,
called Angu ; this gives rise to general debility, particu-
larly in those addicted to the immoderate use of rum.
It is not the slaves only who are given to this vice, but
whites of both sexes, in almost all classes of society,
indulge in it to a great extent ; this is in some degree
manifest, jfrom the very great quantity of that spirit
daily brought to market, for it is said, that for every
troop that enters the city with provisions, another
arrives with rum firom the sugar plantations in the low
countries. I must confess that I saw but few instances of
intoxication in the streets, except among persons of colour.
2h2
468 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
As I arrived in the city without letters of introductioD,
I made very few acquaintances among the inhabitants.
During my stay, however, I received great kindness from
Senhor Antonio Gomez de Carvalho, the Juiz de Paz, and
Maj6r Luiz Jose de Mgueredo, the President of the Ca-
mara Municipal, both of whom called on me the day after
we reached the city. M. Auguste de St. Hilaire, who
visited these provinces in 1817, speaks in high terms of
the great hospitality of the inhabitants of Minas Geraes,
but they do not now appear disposed to treat foreigners
with the same familiarity as formerly ; this may be attri-
buted to their greater intercourse with Europeans, parti-
cularly since the introduction of English mining com-
panies, which has greatly tended to alter their character.
In one of the houses where I occasionally visited, I met
with Portuguese translations of Sir Walter Scott's
' Ivanhoe,' and ' Guy Mannering.' They had been sent
from Bio de Janeiro to one of the daughters of the family
by whom they had been read with the greatest admiration ;
she had received an excellent education, and composed
verses fluently. I was rather surprised when informed that
neither a bookseller's shop, nor a library, existed in the
city.
During my residence in this place, news arrived that
produced a great sensation; the young Emperor, Don
Pedro the second, had been called upon to assume the
reins of government, contrary to the wish of the regent,
before he had attained the age provided by the Legisia*
ture ; a proceeding that seemed to be highly approved of
by the greater part of the inhabitants, and rejoicings were
consequently made on the occasion; in the afternoon.
SAN EOMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 469
high mass was celebrated in the Matriz church, at which
were present all the members of the town council, as well
as the whole body of the national guard, then in town.
In the evening, there was a general iQumination, and the
national guard, after firing several voUies, in front of the
house of the commandant, paraded through the principal
streets, with the band playing, accompanied by the town
council, and all the principal inhabitants of the city. I
walked along with the council, having been invited to do
so by the president, and had thus a good opportunity of
witnessing the whole proceedings ; every now and then,
a halt was made before the house of some respectable
citizen, where, generally five or six persons recited verses,
composed during the day in honour of the occasion,
while the ladies of the house, from the balconies, were
showering down flowers perfumed with Eau de CJologne ;
and occasionally the crowd below, was honoured by a song
from one of the fair ones. This was repeated for three
successive nights ; many of the verses produced on this
occasion, were extremely appropriate, but a greater part
consisted of the most fulsome adulation of the young
Emperor, which was perhaps as unmeaning and epheme-
ral, as that bestowed on his father, who when he pnn
claimed the independence of Brazil, received honours
from these same people, little short of those bestowed on
a Deity, but who after a propitious reign of ten years,
was suffered to abdicate in favour of his infant son,
without any expression of regret on their part : on the
contrary, they appeared to rejoice in a measure, that tended
to the consiunmation of those republican views, which at
that period, seemed likely to draw the Empire into one
470 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
general vortex of anarchy and confusion ; happily how-
ever for the country, the greater portion of the com-
munity, had the good sense to resume its attachment to
those monarchical institutions, that seem well adapted to
the habits and manners of the BraziUan people, and I
had now the good fortune to witness the exuberant effu-
sions of an enthusiasm, which I hope will prove more
lasting, than that exhibited by them on a former occasion
towards the illustrious founder of the BraziUan Empire.
When we arrived in the Cidade Diamantina, my horses
were in bad condition, owing to the long and fatiguing
journey they had just accomphshed, and the bad pastures
on which they had latterly been obUged to feed, I found
however to my regret, that the pasturage here was still
worse, and I feared, that by the time I was ready to leave,
they would not be in a condition to resume the journey ;
the only pastures here, are to be found on the top of the
Serra above the city, in a region very arid, and parti-
cularly cold at this season, whence indeed it derives its
name of the Serro do Frio. Although they were fed
tvdce a day with Indian com, they grew thinner and
weaker after the setting in of the cold rain, so that not-
withstanding all our care and attention, eight of them
died in the course of a few days. Finding the remaining
ten were totally unfit for service, I thought it better
to dispose of them at once, for a mere trifle (70
mil-reis), rather than see them die off one by one.
The person who bought the horses, immediately removed
them to the Sertao. As this occurred at a time when my
stock of money was almost exhausted, with no immediate
hope of being able to renew it, I was brought nearly to
SAN ROMAO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 471
a stand ; with the money I received for the horses, I was
enabled to hire a troop of mules, to convey us to Cidade
do Serro (formerly ViQa do Principe), which is ten leagues
distant from the Cidade Diamantina, on the road towards
Bio de Janeiro, and having made the necessary arrange-
ments, I prepared for my departure.
CHAPTER XIII.
CroADE DIAMANTINA TO OUBO PRETO
Leaves the Cidade Diamantina — ^Beaches As Borbaa — ^Passes the
Arraial do Milho — ^Tres Barras — ^Arrives at the Cidade do Senro,
fonnerly Villa do Principe— The Town described — ^Passes Tapan-
huacanga — Betiro de Pahre Bento— N.S. de Conoei^ao— Description
of an Iron Smelting Work at Girao — Vast abundance of Iron Ores
in this District — ^Beaches Escadinha — Monro de Gaspar Soares and
two other Iron Smelting Works and Forges — ^Ponte Alta — ^Itamb^ —
Passes On9a — ^Ponte de Machado, where frost was seen — ^And azrives
at Cocaes — ^Visits the large Establishment of the Cocaes English
Mining Company — ^The author's unkind reception, by the Director
of that Establishment — Beaches S. Joao do Monro Grande, part of
the Mining Establishment of the English Gongo Soco Company —
hospitable reception, and visit to the Gold Mines — ^Its Workings
described — Geological structure of the Mines, and the surrounding
Country — ^Leaves Gbngo Soco and passes Monro Velho — ^B^x)sa
— ^And reaches the Establishment of another English Mining
Company at Monro Velho — The author's delight on receiving
letters after two years absence — ^His kind reception and abode there
— ^Village of Congonhas de Sahara described — ^Attached to the Gk)ld
Mines of Monro Velho — ^Account of those Mines — Mode of working
and extracting Gold from the Ore— Visits the City of Sabarik —
Mining Establishment of Cuiaba — Serra de Piedade — ^And Serra del
Curral del Bey — ^Leaves Monro Velho — ^Beaches the Villa de
Caet($ — Passes S. Jos^ de Monro Grande— Barra — ^Brumado— -Serra
de Cara^a — Catas altas — Infi9cionado — ^Bento Bodriguez — Camar-
gos — ^And Beaches San Caetano— Visits the City of Mariana — ^Passes
the Serra de Itacolumi — ^Arraial de Passagem — ^And arrives at the
City of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Bica — City described — ^its popula-
tion — College — ^and Botanic Garden.
Before leaving the Cidade Diamantina, I made several
excursions to the vallies, the ravines, and the mountaiQ
CIDADE DIAMANTn^A TO OURO PRETO 473
tops in its vicinity, which yielded me many acquisitions ;
having made all the necessary preparations for our
departure, we left early in the forenoon of the 15th of
August. We made a journey of about three leagues,
and remained for the night at a place called As Borbas,
encamping in an open grassy spot, not far from the only
house there, that belonged to a blacksmith ; the road by
which we travelled is the high way leading to Bio de
Janeiro, and is perhaps the worst in the country, notwith-
standing the great traffic here carried on, not only to the
capital of the Diamond country, but also to that large
district to the N.E. called Minas Novas. The numerous
ascents and descents are very rocky, and full of large
stones, the last ascent, of greater extent than the others,
about a league from the city, leads to an open flat
grassy country, the summit of the Serro do Frio. To the
left we passed some higher ranges, one of which is the
elevated Serra de Itambe ; it was a very arid desolate
tract, the few shrubs which grew on it, being two or three
species of Lychnophora^ called Gandeia by the inhabi-
tants, and the grotesque Lychnocephalm tomentosus,
together with a few occasional clumps of Fellozia.
Shortly before we reached As Borbas, we gradually
descended to a considerable extent, by a rocky path, and
entered a broad valley, which, though more wooded than
the plain above, was still very arid in its appearance.
As some of the mules had strayed during the night,
we were delayed at our encampment till near noon on
the following day ; this was not at all agreeable, for we
were exposed to a hot sun, without any means of
sheltering ourselves from its influence. As I had now
474 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
DO animals of my own, I was obliged to submit to the
will of the Tropeiro, who did not seem veiy anxious to
proceed rapidly on his journey. We found' the mode of
travelling in the southern provinces very different from
that we had been accustomed to in the northern. Horses
are seldom or never used, and only one journey is made
in the day, which according to the nature of the road,
extends jfrom three to four leagues. The troops which
often consist of as many as from fifty to one hundred
mules, are very well organized, those which are not con-
ducted by the owner himself, being entrusted to an
Arrieiro or muleteer, who, mounted on horseback, foUows
in the rear of the troop ; it is he who gives the necessary
orders for its starting and halting, looks to the condition
of the pack saddles, and takes care the loads are well
balanced, as otherwise they would gall the baeks of the
animals ; it is also part of his business, to examine the
feet of the mules, when the troop halts, to ascertain the
state of their shoes, and replace those which may have
been lost ; the situation of Arrieiro is generally held by a
free mulatto, and to him also the sale and purchase of
goods is often entrusted. The roads in Brazil are so
narrow, that the animals are obUged to go singly, one
before the other, and so much are they accustomed to
this, that even when the road is broad enough for many
to go abreast, they still persist in the habit they have
acquired of following one another. The troop is sub-
divided into divisions (lotes), of seven mules each, which
are separately managed by a driver (Tocrado), who goes
on foot, and is generally a negro. From As Borbas we
made a journey of about three leagues and a half, through
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OUKO PRETO. 475
a hilly, rocky, uninteresting country, and arrived at a
place called Tres Barras. Shortly before reaching it we
passed the Arraial de Milho Verde, but at a short
distance to the south, at a place called Vao, we crossed a
small river over an old half-rotten wooden bridge. At
this place ther^ are a few poor looking houses, the owners
of which are principally diamond washers ; one of them
showed me a few diamonds, all of which were small, and
not nearly equal in colour to those found near the Cidade
Diamantina; one was jet black, a colour that not
unfrequently occurs.
Leaving Tres Barras, another journey of three leagues
and a half brought us to the Cidade do Serro. The road
leads through a hilly and undulating country, evidently
much lower than that in the Diamond district which we
left behind at Tres Barras ; it had now lost its barren
rocky appearance, the greater part of the rounded hills
being wooded to their tops, and occasionally, houses and
plantations were to be seen in the hollows. In place of
the gravelly soil which exists in the Diamond district, the
red argillaceous ferruginous clay, so common in the
country, again made its appearance. We came in sight
of the city when about a league distant from it, and
although much smaller than the Cidade Diamantina, its
elevated situation gives it quite as striking an appear-
ance. Like it, the greater part of the Cidade do Serro is
built on the slope of a hill, which, however, is of less
elevation, and the houses are not so closely crowded
together. At this place I parted with the Tropeiro who
brought us from the Cidade Diamantina, and as there
was no inn of any description, I took up my quarters in
476 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
the public Rancho^ which is a large well built house^ ex-
pressly constructed for the accommodation of the troops
that pass and repass, three only of which are allowed to
rest in it at a time, and the proprietor charges four vin-
tems (about two pence) per night to each Tropeiro for
the accommodation. He has adjoining it, a large Venda,
for the sale of provisions and Indian com, and it is
understood, that the Tropeiros are expected to purchase
there what they require for themselves, their men, and
their mules. At this Bancho I met with a muleteer
retumuig to Ouro Preto, with his mules imloaded,
eighteen of which I hired to carry us forward, and for
which I agreed to pay him, on our arrival there, 180
mil-reis, or about 22/. sterling.
Cidade do Serro, formerly known by the name of Villa
do Principe, is situated partly on the northern acclivity,
and partly upon the ridge of a hill which runs fix>m east
to west, and consists, principally, of one long street, with
a few others that intersect it; these are nearly all well
paved, and the houses are, with but few exceptions, white-
washed. As in the capital of the Diamond district,
almost every house has a small garden, which gives to
the dty a very pleasing appearance, when seen from a
distance. I remained here only part of a day, and had,
therefore, little opportunity of gaining much information
respecting it; it struck me, however, during a walk
through its principal street, that it was a very dull place.
According to St. Hilaire, it contained in the year 1817,
a population of from 2,500 to 8,000 inhabitants; it
has a few good shops, but the greater part of the re-
spectable inhabitants * are agriculturists, who have their
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 477
Fazendas in the neighbourhood. Gold at one time was
found rather plentifully in the argillaceous soil, particu-
lai^ly in a small stream which runs in the valley below
the city, called the Corrego de quatro vintems ; it is now,
however, nearly exhausted, and only a few of the more
wealthy citizens employ some of their slaves in the search
for this metal.
The hills around the Cidade do Serro, are covered with
a grass which the Brazilians call Capim gordura {Melinia
minutiflora, Nees ab. E.). It is covered with an oily
viscous matter, and universally makes its appearance in
those tracts, which have been cleared of virgin forest for
the purposes of cultivation ; both cattle and horses are
very fond of it, but although th^ soon fatten on it, the
latter get short-winded, if they feed on it for ^ny length
of time. Martins considers this plant to be truly a
native of Minas Geraes, while St. Hilaire is of a different
opinion; as it is now ever3rwhere so common in this
province, it is a difficult matter to say which of those ex-
cellent botanists are in the right ; all the agriculturists
that I have spoken with on the subject, agree with Saint
Hilaire, although they differ in opinion in regard to the
place of its original growth. It is only on the moun-
tains, that it is found covering large tracts, and at present
it is rapidly extending northwards. Saint Hilaire during
his travels did not observe it beyond 17° 40' of south
latitude ; but while crossing the Serra Geral irom Goyaz
to Minas, I met with it many degrees to the north of
that parallel ; I noticed it only near houses, and there is
Uttle doubt but that in the course of a few more years, it
will over-run that chain, in the sattie manner that it has
478 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
done those of Minas. The seeds had evidently been
brought from the latter country by troops, which pass
that way into Goyaz ; it is not to be met with at all in
the Sertao. Another plant which makes its appearance
with this grass, and one of the worst pests which the
Brazilian farmer has to contend with, is the Pteris cau-
data, a large brake similar to that so common in many
places in Great Britain ; it is called by the common name
of Samambaia.
Leaving the Cidade do Serro, and passing through a
hilly country, which is more thickly wooded, and con-
tains a greater number of habitations than that we had
lately traversed, a journey of four leagues brought us to
the Arraial de Tapanhuacanga, where we passed the night
in the pubhc Rancho ; a large troop of about one him-
dred mules had arrived there before us, from Rio de
Janeiro, loaded with European merchandize. This vil-
lage is situated in a hollow, which is surrounded by some
rather high hills, the nearest of which are covered with
grass, a few sohtary trees, and an immense number of
the large clay nests of the white ant ; while the more
distant are covered with virgin forests. At the time the
village was founded, gold was discovered abimdantly
in the neighbourhood, but it is now very nearly ex-
hausted ; it contains at present, only about twenty or
thirty houses, the greater part of which are falling into
ruin, and the two churches are in the same condition.
Below the village runs a small stream, in the bed of
which a few miserable beings still endeavour to earn a
livelihood by washing for gold. While in the Rancho,
one of the men belonging to the troop, brought in a
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 479
handful of branches, covered with leaves, with which,
after holding them some time over the fire, so as to ren-
der them brittle, he made a kind of tea, for himself and
his companions ; from the fruit on it, I foimd it to be
a species of Symplocoa. The leaves of many other shrubs
and trees are used in the same manner by the inhabitants
of Minas, under the name of Congonha ; those of the
Bex Paraguayenm^ from which the celebrated Yerba of
of Paraguay is prepared, are most commonly used.
We left Tapanhuacanga early next morning, and
having acccomplished about five leagues and a half, we
halted at a Fazenda, called Retu*o de Padre Bento, a
large house built on the gentle slope of a grassy hill ; our
whole journey indeed, was through an open, hilly, grassy
country, the pasture being chiefly Capim gordura. In
many places, the groimd had been turned up to a great
extent in search after gold, but the workings were all
abandoned ; large tracts were likewise covered with the
tall brake of which I have aheady spoken. One of the
most common trees I observed, was a fine large Hyptia
(IT. membranacea, Benth.) bearing great panicles of purple
flowers ; this tree is from twenty to forty feet high, and
is one of the largest species of the family of the Labiata
I met with in Brazil.
After travelling about haK a league next morning, we
passed through the Arraial de Nossa Senhora de Con-
cei9ao de Mato Dentro. This village is situated in a
hollow, on the banks of a small stream, and is surrounded
by high grassy hills; it contains about two hundred
houses arranged in two long parallel streets, and is one
of the most miserable looking places I have ever seen ;
480 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
many of the houses are falling into decay, and those
which are still inhabited, are not even white-washed, bat
are merely covered with the red day, used in plastering
them. The country around has a barren aspect, but as
the hills are all covered with Capim gordura, it does not
look quite so stenle as that around the Cidade Dia-
mantina; they are however, destitute »of all those
beautiful small shrubs, which render the mountains in
the Diamond district so interesting to the botanist.
Except a few smaQ gardens attached to some of the
houses, there are no signs of cultivation in the neigfa-
bourhood of Conceigao. At a short distance fix>m this
village, the road passes over a high hill, upon reaching
the top of which we got into a cold, dense mist, which
was rolling down into the valley before the wind,
but which disappeared as soon as it reached a warmer
atmosphere. We travelled in the mist for about half a
league, and finally emerged from it, by descending the
opposite side of the Serra. On this descent we met
another large troop, consisting of upwards of one hundred
mules, part of which was destined to the Diamond district,
and part to Minas Novas ; the road was here so narrow,
that our small troop was obliged to halt while the others
passed.
About a league and a half from Concei^ao, we passed
a small Iron work, belonging to a German blacksmith ;
it is situated in a most romantic spot on the banks
of a small river, the waters of which rush through
a narrow rocky channel, and is surrounded by hiUs,
covered with virgin forests. The proprietor of this esta-
blishment told me that he had been eighteen years in
CTDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 481
Brazil, seven of which had been spent at this place ; his
furnace is a small one, making only a hundred weight
of iron per day ; but he was about to erect another of
equal size. The blasts for the furnace, and for the forging
fires, as well as the large hammer by which the iron is
beaten into bars, are worked by water. He had several
men in his employ, making all kinds of iron implements
used in the country, but principally shoes for mules, for
which he finds a quick sale from the Tropeiros that are
daily passing. He also manufactures a small quantity of
steel, which he confessed to be of an inferior quality ;
there is abundance of iron-stone in the neighbourhood,
and plenty of wood to make charcoal for reducing the
ore. The province of Minas Geraes is perhaps richer
than any part of the world in iron; indeed as Saint
Hilaire observes, it maybe considered as inexhaustible.* In
Europe iron ore is generally found at a considerable depth,
but in Minas it is frequently met with near the surface.
From Girao, for so this forge is called, we went on
another league, and halted for the night in a public
Kancho at a Faaenda called Escadinha. The country
* Martius in speaking of the productions of Minas Gteraes, says :
" almost every kind of metal is found here ; iron-stone, which produces
ninety per cent, is met with almost everywhere, and it constitutes in a
manner, the chief component part of long chains; lead is found
beyond the Rio de San Francisco in Abait^ ; copper in San Domingos,
near Fanado in Minas Novas ; chrome and manganese in Paraopeba ;
platina, near Graspar Scares, and in other rivers ; quicksilver, arsenic,
bismuth, antimony, and red-lead ore, about Villa Rica; diamonds in
Tijuco and Abaite ; yellow, blue, and white topazes, grass and bluish
green aqua marines, red and green tourmalines, chrysoberyls, garnets
and amethysts, principally in Minas Novas. But what has chiefly
contributed to the great influx of settlers, and to the rapid population
of this province, particularly of the capital, is the great abundance of
gold which has been obtained for above a century ". Travels in Brazil,
JAoy^i fy'anslationy vol. 2, p. 181.
2l
482 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
during the latter part of the journey was well wooded
with virgin forests, similar to those on the Organ Moun-
tains, and like them abounding in tree-ferns, small
palms, and a large species of bamboo. It was quite
refreshing to be once more in such a region, after
wandering so long in the arid provinces of the north.
On the following morning, after travelling about two
leagues, we passed a small village called the Arraial do
Morro da Gaspar Soares, which, contrary to the general
custom in Brazil, is situated on the summit of a high hill.
It is surrounded by other hills covered with Capim
gordura, which, although it was then the end of the diy
season, was quite green, and presented a great contrast
to the pastures of Ceara, Piauhy, and Goyaz, which in
the same season are quite burned up. Here there was
no sign of cultivation, although I was informed that at
one time, the whole of these bare Campos were under
culture, till the Capim gordura took possession of them ;
new plantations have been formed at a distance by the
cutting -down of the virgin forests, which in time, will
have to be abandoned from the same cause. Notwith-
standing the richness of these pastures, but few cattle
were to be seen grazing here. As we did not intend to
stop at this village, and as the road passes along the foot
of the hill on which it stands, I had not an opportunity
of seeing it more closely, but it had a neat and picturesque
appearance at a distance. On the road not far from
each other, we passed two small iron works ; these forges
were estabhshed by government, while Brazil was still a
colony of Portugal, and the greater part of the iron they
produced, was sent to the Diamond district for the use
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 488
of the mines there ; they are now in the hands of private
individuals. About two leagues beyond this village, we
finished our day's journey at a Venda called Ponte Alta,
which has a public Rancho attached to it. The country
through which we passed, was not very interesting to the
botanist ; by the side of a Uttle rivulet, near the Rancho,
grew a fine species of Vochysia, covered with its long
spikes of bright yellow flowers, and a Bubus, the fruit of
which, when ripe, is green, and has somewhat the flavour
of the strawberry.
From Ponte Alta, a journey of three leagues brought
us to the Arraial de Itambe ; the road led through a hilly
but rather well wooded country, with a more varied,
general vegetation than any part I had passed over since
leaving the Diamond district. About a league and a
half firom Itambe, we ascended a hill of considerable
height, and after journeying about half a mile through a
low wood, we entered on an open tract, with a moist
sandy soil, which afibrded me a large collection of very
rare and interesting plants.
The Arraial de Itambe is situated in a beautiful valley,
on the banks of a small river which bears the same name,
and which we crossed before entering the village, over
an excellent wooden bridge. The village contains from
eighty to a hundred houses, and a church, most of which
are in a state of great decay ; indeed, the aspect of ruin
and desolation was more apparent here, than ui any place
of its size I have seen in Brazil, with the exception,
perhaps, of the Villa de Parnagoa, in the south of the
province of Piauhy ; the appearance of the inhabitants
was equally abject, and miserable. The valley in which
2i2
484 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
it stands, is surrounded by high gently sloping hills, some
of which are grassy and rocky, while others are covered
with low woods. Beyond these hills, and about a league
distant from the village, in a westerly direction, a higher
chain of mountains exists, called Itacolumi ; from the
seven summits it presents, it also bears the name of Sete
Pecados Morta^es ; this range was once covered by forests,
which about forty years ago were accidently destroyed
by fire. As at the Arraial do Morro, the neighbourhood
of Itambe presents no signs of cultivation, if a few small
gardens attached to some of the houses, containing some
orange and other fruit trees, be excepted. Formerly gold
washing was carried on to some extent, in the bed of the
river, but it is now found in such small quantities, that
the produce will not pay the expense of the labour.
From Itambe, we went to a little hamlet, consisting of
about a dozen houses, and a small chapel, called On^a,
the distance being about two leagues and a half. The
ascent of the Serra from Itambe, was very roclqr, and the
country afterwards hilly. One of the few plants which I
met with on this journey, was the really beautiful Mutisia
campamdata. Less., a climber with pea-like leaves, and
large heads of bright scarlet flowers, which are gracefully
suspended on long footstalks.
Our next journey was very long, being a double day's
march, or about six leagues. The road led through an
open, undulating, and very rich country ; and we passed
some large Fazendas, surrounded by extensive plantations
of Indian com ; those parts of the coimtry not under
cultivation, were covered with virgin forests, in which I
observed, for the first time since I had left the Oi^an
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRBTO. 485
Mountams, abundance of the Brazilian cabbage-palm
{Euterpe eduHs, Mart.). The sun was excessively hot all
day, and there was scarcely a breath of wind stirring ; in
consequence of this, I suflFered much from a severe attack
of head-ache. The place we stopped at, is called Ponte
do Machado, where there is an excellent Rancho ; the
night was clear and cold, and when the men went out in
the morning to collect the mules, the grass was covered
with hoar frost ; and the dew which had fallen on the
leaves of the shrubs during the early part of the night,
was formed into small icicles ; this was the only time I
observed ice in Brazil, and the first time in theii* lives
that my men had seen it.
From Ponte do Machado, a short journey of two
leagues, brought us to the Arraial de Cocaes early in the
forenoon, where we took up our quarters as usual in the
public Rancho, the village not affording better accommo-
dation. Long before we arrived at this place, I had
been informed that an English mining company possessed
an establishment in the neighbourhood; and I now
learned that it was situated on a high Serra, which bears
the same name as the Arraial, and only about a quarter
of a league distant. My stock of money was very nearly
exhausted, and, as I should have to pay my Tropeiro on
our arrival at the city of Ouro Preto, from which we
were now only eleven leagues distant, I determined to
apply to the chief commissioner of the Cocaes mine for
some assistance. From Natividade, in the province of
Goyaz, I had written to the house of Messrs. Harrison,
& Co., at Rio de Janeiro, who kindly acted as my agents,
during the whole time of my residence in Brazil, re-
486 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
questing them to forward all my letters and parcels to
Mr. Herring the chief commissioner of the San Joao
d'El Rey mining company, and once at that place, I felt
certain that all my wants would be supplied, as Mr.
Herring knew me personally, having had the pleasure
of meeting him in Eio, in the beginning of 1837 ; but
we were still about thirty-six leagues distant from the
town of San Joao d'El Rey, at which place, it was then
my impression, Mr. Herring resided. Coming as I did
from the ' far west ' of Brazil, I had, of course, no letters
of recommendation to Mr. Goodair, the chief commis-
sioner of the Cocaes mines, yet I resolved to soUcit from
him that aid which a countryman of my own could only
be expected to supply.
As soon as my luggage was all properly arranged in
the Rancho, I rode up to the mine, but found that Mr.
Goodair was out visiting some of the works at a distance,
and was not expected to return for two hours, I therefore
determined to await his arrival ; and in the meantime, I
was invited to dine with Mr. Roscoe, one of the officers
of the establishment ; this gentleman, who is married to
an English lady, had a fine family of several little flaxen-
haired children, and they, and the dinner, which con-
sisted principally of roast beef and English potatoes,
made me feel as if suddenly transported to my own
country. Shortly after dinner Mr. Goodair arrived, and
after stating to him the object of my long journey, I
candidly informed him of the unpleasant circumstances
m which I was placed for want of money, and asked him
for the loan of 25/., for which I would give him an order
OP mv nn^^nts in Rio ; by doing so, I told him he would
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OVRO PRETO. 487
confer an obligation, not only on me, but on those under
whose patronage I was travelling; at the same time,
oflTering to show him credentials, which I purposely took
with me, to prove that I was not an impostor. These,
however, he would not look at, told me he was sorry that
he could do nothing for me, but added, that as my
agents in Rio were also the agents for the Morro Velho
mining company, perhaps, I might meet with some as-
sistance there : " at all events," he concluded, " the doctor
there is a countryman of your own, a Scotchman, and he,
perhaps, may feel inchned to do something for you." After
giving me this advice, be tiu:ned on his heel, and, without
even bidding me good day, walked out of the room.
As may well be imagined, my feelings were not a little
hurt at this uncourteous treatment ; it was quite optional
on his part, whether he would let me have the money or
not, but I certainly expected a kinder reception. I
looked back on my. long and painful journey, of more
than two years duration, and my memory recalled the
many acts of kindness I had received from people of the
country, who had never heard of me before, and I felt
keenly the marked contempt with which I was treated by
an Englishman, and the only one too, to whose benevo-
lence I appealed during the whole course of my travels ;
my personal appearance might, perhaps, have influenced
him, for the necessarily limited wardrobe with which I
started from the coast, was now nearly exhausted ; nor
would the state of my funds allow me to add to it. I
was deeply sunburnt, from exposure, and the fatigues of
long continued travelling, innutritions diet, and latterly
even little of that, together with much anxiety of mind,
488 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
produced by the evil which I here tried in vain to remedy,
gave me, I have no doubt, no very prepossessing appear-
ance; had Mr. Goodair, however, been of an obliging
disposition, a Uttle enquiry would have satisfied him that
my object was not to deceive ; the fact of my having ar-
rived in the village vnth four attendants, and nearly twenty
mules load of luggage, and the excellent credentials I pos-
sessed, carried with them sufficient evidence that this was
not the case.
Learning from Mr. Roscoe, and Mr. Rigby, another
officer of the establishment, from whom I received much
civility, that Mr. Herring was chief commissioner of the
Morro Velho mine, which was only about eleven leagues
distant from Cocaes, I instantly determined to go and
ascertain if any letters had been sent up for me from Bio
de Janeiro. I expected to have been able to examine the
geological nature of the mine, but the reception I met
vnth put a stop at once to my intentions ; Mr. Kigby,
however, showed me over the surface works.
The mine is situated near the top of the eastern side
of the Serra de Cocaes. In the year 1833, a lease for
fifty years was bought by the present company; the former
proprietors had worked it previously for a long period,
with much profit; in June 1834, the company began
operations, and though these have been carried on with
much perseverance, and at a great yearly expenditure,
but very little gold has been extracted. At the time of
my visit, the money laid out on the mine, altogether, ex-
ceeded £200,000. The manner in which the mine was
worked, formed a great contrast to that I had previously
seen adopted by the Brazilians ; all the machinery was
CIDADB DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 489
put in action by water power and it was a most in-
teresting sight to observe, how one very small stream of
water, brought from a distance of several leagues, was
turned to so many useful purposes. In the first place it
was made use of to drive a saw mill, then descended to
the mill where Indian com for the slaves was ground
into floiu*, thence it was conducted to the blacksmith's
shop, to work the blast for a furnace, and the tilt
hammer, after this it was led into a large vegetable
garden, for the purposes of irrigation, and thence con-
ducted to work a machine, for drawing ore from the
mine. Leaving this it descended to drive a large
pumping wheel, forty feet in diameter, besides this it
kept in action two stamping machines, for reducing the
ore to powder, another machine for raising ore, a second
forty feet pmnping wheel, and lastly, it turned a wheel
that worked a machine for ventilating the mine. The
gold is found in a soft friable grayish coloured micaceous
iron schist, which is called by the Brazilians Jacotinga ;
the principal shaft is about fifty fathoms deep. At the
time of my visit, there were thirty English miners, about
three hundred slaves, and thirty hired free BraziUans, at
work in and about the mine.
The Village of Cocaes is not only the prettiest I have
seen in Minas, but is also the most beautifully situated ;
it is built on the gentle slope and summit of a low hill
that stands in the bosom of a semicircle formed by the
Serra, which, in some places is covered with virgin
forest, and in others is bare and rocky. Between the
Serra and the village, runs the Una, a small stream,
which, however, in the dry season contains but little
490 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
water. Every where along its banks, and even to a con-
siderable distance, the ground has been turned over and
washed for gold ; these operations are still carried on.
Far from exhibiting the ruin and decay, which the other
villages we shortly before passed through presented, the
houses here have all a neat appearance, being mostly
whitewashed, and surrounded by little gardens con-
taining orange and coflFee trees, bananas &c. The church
stands out conspicuously from all the other buildings, and
around it are planted a few tall palms, which give to the
whole place a truly tropical aspect.
On the morning of the second day after our arrival, we
left the Arraial de Cocaes ; and I thought it very hard
to be travelling in the famous El Dorado, with scarcely a
sixpence in my pocket, while judging from my first
attempt, there were but faint expectations of improving
my pecuniary wants. Ascending the Serra de Cocaes
by an excellent road, and passing the entrance to the
mine, we descended to the other side, and following a
nearly westerly route for about the distance of four
leagues, along the base of the Serra, reached the cele-
brated Gongo Soco mine, about two o'clock in the after-
noon. About half way we passed through the Arraial
de San Joao do Morro Grande, which consists principally
of one long narrow street. The country around it, is
formed of a coarse ferruginous soil, that every where has
been turned up in search of gold, but as it is now
nearly exhausted, very few of the inhabitants are engaged
in that species of labour. Like most other villages, that
owe their origin to the auriferous soil in their neighbour-
hood, it presents all the symptom of decadence ; houses
CIBADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 491
that were built in times of prosperity, are quickly falling
into ruin, and the few that have been more recently
erected, are of a much inferior construction ; near the
centre of the Arraial is a fine church, still kept in good
repair. On the road, several English miners passed us
on their way to Rio, from a mine which had been esta-
blished a few years before, on the Serra de Candonga,
between Tapanhuacanga and Cidade do Serro, but which
was now about to be abandoned.
As I brought a letter with me from Mr. Rigby at
Cocaes to Mr. T. Baird, one of the partners of a large
general store at Gongo Soco, and as I was most kindly
received by him, I found myself more comfortably
situated than at Cocaes. The whole of the houses at this
place belong to the company, and it is undoubtedly one
of the prettiest little villages in the province. The situa-
tion in which it is placed, adds much to its beauty, being
a narrow valley, bounded on the north by the high
wooded Serra, that runs westward from Cocaes, and by^^
a lower undulating grassy elevation on the south; with;
the exception of the large house occupied by Mr. Duvalp'
the chief commissioner, the others are all of one story,
arranged in streets, isolated, and in the English cottage
style, adorned in front with flower beds, and not unfre-
quently with palms and other tropical trees. Near the
centre of the village, stands a small but elegant church,
for the use of the free Brazilian workmen and slaves,
employed by the company. There is a catholic priest in
the pay of the company, and formerly, there used to be an
English clergyman also ; in this village the officers and
the greater part of the English miners reside. The
492 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
mining operations are carried on about half a mile further
to the westward; and the houses of the slaves are
situated near the works.
By Mr. Hammond, the acting chief commissioner,
Mr. Duval being then on a visit to Rio, and by the other
officers, I was kindly welcomed to the establishment ;
and to one gentleman in particular, I shall ever feel
grateful for his disinterested kindness, and more so from
his being a foreigner, I mean Mr. Virgil Von Helmrei-
chen, the civil engineer of the establishment. Having
entered into conversation with me on the nature of my
travels and pursuits, he told me that he was well ac-
quainted with Mr. Natterer the celebrated zoological
traveller in Brazil, who had often mentioned to him the
awkward situations, in which he had frequently been
placed, when in the interior, from the want of opportunity
to draw for money ; and his knowledge of this fact led
him to enquire into the state of my funds, which I can-
didly explained to him, when he very generously offered
to let me have as much money as would convey me to
Rio, on no other security than my promise to pay it into
the hands of his agent on my arrival there. This obliging
offer I, however, declined to accept, until I could ascer-
tain at Morro Velho whether my letters had arrived there
or not.
Having expressed a wish to Mr. Hammond to be
allowed to visit the interior of the mine, he at once
kindly consented, and requested one of the mining
Captains to escort me : Mr Ferriar a young gentleman
whom I had formerly met at Rio, offered to accompany
me. Before going down, we were taken to the room
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 493
where the Captains keep their mining clothes, and were
there obliged to change our dress for one of the suits
used in the mines. This consisted of a large coarse
flannel shirt, a pair of drawers of the same material, and
a coat and trowsers made of. coarse canvas, a stout
leathern hat, which fitted the head tightly, and a pair of
strong shoes, which we put on our bare feet. Being thus
accoutred, we were each provided with two candles, one
which was for immediate use, was stuck into a ball of
soft clay which served as a candlestick, and the other
hung to the button of the coat for after use. Fitted out
in this manner, we entered the mine by what is called
the Adit level, whence we descended to the next level,
seven fathoms deeper ; and so on in succession, tiQ we
visited seven out of the nine levels, or workings, of which
the mine consists ; as the two lowest were full of water
we could not visit them. The distance between each of
the levels, is seven fathoms, so that we reached the depth
of 294 feet, while the greatest depth is about 378. The
excavations in these levels consist of narrow passages or
galleries, not more than four or five feet wide, and five
or six in height, driven in various directions through the
Jacotinga, or micaceous iron Schist. This Schist is of so
soft a nature, that the passages as they are driven, require
to be strongly lined with wood to prevent their filling up
again ; and in many places, it is quite astonishing to see
how some of the thick pillars of hard Brazilian wood,
often a foot and a half in diameter, are crushed and
broken by the weight from above. The principal gold
vein, runs to the westward, but there are many ramifying
branches ; the vein is very unequal in richness, some-
494 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
times, as at the period of my visit, yielding hardly any
gold, while at others it is found in what the miners call
bunches, which are sometimes so rich, that more than one
hundred pounds weight of the pure metal has been taken
out in one day. The rich ore is washed and pounded
up in mortars, while the poorer sort is sent to the
stamping mills, and afterwards either separated by
washing in the Bateia, or amalgamated. Notwith-
standing the superior richness of this mine, the machinery
appeared much inferior to that at Cocaes.
From an excellent diagram constructed by Mr.
Helmreichen, exhibiting a section of the country in which
the mine is situated, and which he kindly allowed me to
examine, I have been enabled to make the following
sketch of its geological structure. The Serra which runs
from east to west, and lies to the north of the mine, is of
primitive character, the mass of its centre consisting of
granite; upon the granite is imposed a thick bed of
schistose and clay slates, cropping out at an angle of
about 45°. Above this lies another thick bed of ferru-
ginous Itacolumite, having the same inclination as the
rocks below ; and immediately over this the Jacotinga,
or soft micaceous iron schist, which contains the gold,
and which is about fifty fathoms in thickness. Above
the Jacotinga is another thick layer of Itacolumite ; and
lastly about half a mile to the south of the mine, a thick
bed of a highly crystallized stratified limestone crops out
at the same angle, and in the same direction as the other
rocks. About half a mile to the eastward of the entrance
to the mine, the bed of Jacotinga narrows to a point, but
towards the westward it appears to be inexhaustible,
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 495
and in that direction all further mining operations will be
carried on.
On the morning of the 29th of August, 1 left Gongo
Soco to visit the Morro Velho mine, which is distant
about six leagues in a N.W. direction. I was accom-
panied only by a guide, having left aU my men and
luggage at Gongo, as I expected to be absent only about
three days. The country between the two places is very
hilly, and barren, consisting of elevated grassy hills occa-
sionally studded with a few small trees. In the hollows,
however, there are generally patches of trees, forming
those woods to which the name of Capoes is given.
About two leagues and a half from Gongo, we passed
through a small stragghng village called Morro Vermelho,
which was in a state of great decay; and about two
leagues and a half further on, a still smaller village called
Rapoza, situated on the banks of the Rio das Velhas ;
we crossed this river over an old narrow, tottering,
wooden bridge, without raUs. On my arrival at Morro
Velho about eight o'clock in the afternoon, I found to
my great delight, that all my English letters and parcels,
which had been accumulating during more than two
years, were here awaiting my arrival, which had been
expected several months. Letters of credit had also
been kindly sent up by Messrs. Harrison, for such sums
of money as might be required by me, so that my mind
was now quite at ease on that point. I sat up nearly all
night reading my letters, but the state of mind produced
by them was far from happy, for not a few of them
brought most unwelcome news, of the death of near and
dear relations and friends. The kind reception I met
496 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
with from Mrs. Herring, the lady of the chief com-
missioner, and from Mr. Crickitt, the acting commissioner
for Mr. Herring, who was then in Bio with his two
eldest daughters, will ever be remembered by me, with
the warmest gratitude. Bx)oms were ready to receive
me, and instead of remaining only one day as I origi-
nally intended, I was prevailed on to spend about a
month at Morro Velho, during which time, my health
improved rapidly. The day after my arrival, I sent to
Gongo Soco for Mr. Walker, the men, and the luggage.
The mine of Morro Velho, is situated about half a
mile to the S.E. of the Arraial de Congonhas de Sahara.
The village which is very irregularly built, is placed in a
hollow, and contains a population of about 2,000 inhabi-
tants ; but until the mines in the neighbourhood began
to be worked by the English, the population was much
less ; here are three churches, one of which has never
been finished, and is now falling into a state of ruin.
The mine is situated on one of the hills surrounding the
valley, and had been worked by its proprietors for about
a hundred years previous to its being bought by the
present company. When St HUaire visited this village
the gold was considered as exhausted,* but it now yields,
perhaps more gold than any other mine in the empire.
The present company first commenced its operations
about 1830, under the superintendence of Captain Lyon,
* " Congonhas doit sa fondation a des mineurs attir^ par Tor que
Ton trouvait dans les alentours, et son histoire est celle de tant d'autres
bourgades. Le precieux mdtal s'est ^puis^ ; les travaux sont devenus
plus difficiles, et Congonhas n'annonce actuellement que la d^denoe
et Tabandon " — Voyage dona le District des Diaman$ ^. par Aug. de
8t,Hilaire; vol. 1. p. 169.
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 497
the northern voyager. This mine is very different from
that at Grongo Soco, inasmuch as the auriferous vein
occurs in a grayish coloured clay slate ; the vein, or lode
itself, consisting of a kind of quartzose rock mixed with a
considerable proportion of carbonate of lime, strongly
impregnated with iron and arsenical and copper pyrites ;
its general direction is from east to west, and it is about
seven fathoms wide a little to the west of the central
workings, at which point it divides into two branches
that run to the westward, while other two extend to the
eastward; the more easterly branches are those that
have been worked to the greatest extent. These ramifi-
cations gradually diverge, and ultimately take a N. E.
direction, running parallel to each other, at a distance of
about a hundred feet.
The ore is first removed from its bed by blasting, and
is afterwards broken by female slaves into small pieces,
about the size of the stones put upon macadamized
roads, after which it is conveyed to the stamping ma-
chine to be reduced to powder ; this machine consists of
a number of perpendicular shafts placed in a row, and
heavily loaded below with large blocks of iron; these
being alternately lifted up to a certain height by a toothed
cyUnder, turned by a large water-wheel, fall down upon,
and crush the stones to powder ; a small stream of water
constantly made to run through them, carries away the
pulverized matter to what is called the strakes, a wooden
platform, slightly inclined, and divided into a number of
veiy shallow compartments, of fourteen inches in width, the
length being about twenty-six feet ; the floor of each of
these compartments is covered with pieces of tanned hide
2k
498 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
about three feet long, and sixteen inches wide, which have
the hair on ; the particles of gold are deposited among
the hairs, while the earthy matter, being lighter, is washed
away. The greater part of the gold dust is collected on
the three upper, or head skins, which are changed every
four hours, while the lower skins are changed every six
or eight hours, according to the richness of the ore. The
sand which is washed from the head skins, is collected
together and amalgamated with quicksilver in barrels,
while that from the lower skins is conveyed to the
washing-house, and concentrated over strokes of similar
construction to those of the stamping mill, till it be rich
enough to be amalgamated with that from the head skins.
The barrels into which this rich sand is put together with
the quicksilver, are turned by water, and the process of
amalgamation is generally completed in the course of
forty-eight hours ; when taken out, the amalgam is sepa-
rated from the sand by washing, it is then pressed in
chamois skins, and the quicksilver is separated from the
gold by sublimation. In the whole process, the loss of
mercury amounts to about thirty-five pounds a month,
but up to two months before my visit, it was nearly
double that quantity. For a long time the gold dust was
extracted from the sand by hand-washing in Bateias,
after the Brazilian manner ; but the process of amalga-
mation is found to be superior, requiring less labour, and
extracting a larger proportion of gold. The zillerthal, or
running amalgamation process, similar to that used in the
Tyrol, has also been tried here, but was not found to
answer, owing to the great loss of quicksilver. The roast-
ing process has also been attempted, but although by this
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 499
means the ore yields a much larger per-centage of gold,
the fumes arising from the arsenic were found to be so
injurious to the health of the workmen, that it was aban-
doned. A ton of ore produces from three to four Portu-
guese oitavas of gold ; but the same quantity has often
yielded as much as seven oitavas. At the time of my visit,
from fifteen to sixteen hundred tons of ore were reduced
to powder every month.
After having rested about a week at Morro Velho, I
started, with Mr. Monach, the surgeon to the company,
to ascend the Serra de Piedade, which is the highest part
of the great western chain in the Gold district. After
travelling about three leagues in a northerly direction,
we arrived at the city of Sahara, which, except the Cidade
Diamantina, was the largest I had then seen in the inte-
rior ; it is situated on the north bank of the Bio das
Yelhas, at the eastern foot of the great chain already
alluded to. Prom the place where the first view of it is
obtained, it has a very fine appearance, its site being
somewhat elevated, the houses are generally large, and
there are several fine churches; the old and new city
together, are about a mile in length, but the breadth is
inconsiderable ; the streets are generally wide, and well
paved, and judging from the numerous public fountains,
it appears to be well supplied with water. It was only
about two years before the period of my visit, that Sahara
was raised to the dignity of a city ; the greater part of
the inhabitants are shopkeepers, who trade with those
of the Sertao to the westward. Notwithstanding its near
approach in size to the Cidade Diamantina, it forms a
great contrast with it in the stillness of its streets. The
2k2
500 TRAVEM IN BRAZIL.
ferruginous gravelly sofl around it, and along the banks
of the river, has all been turned over in search of gold,
but now very few seem to be engaged in that pursuit ;
the bed of the river is said to be rich in gold dust.
From Sahara we went to Cuiaba, a mining establish-
ment belonging to the Cocaes Company, about two
leagues distant ; the road for nearly the whole way runs
up a narrow and very picturesque valley, along the banks
of a small river. At the Cuiaba mine there were only
two officers, Mr. Richards, the superintendent, and Dr.
Morson, the surgeon, who is married to an English lady,
by whom we were kindly received. The Serra de Piedade
being still about two leagues and a half distant, we slept
that night at Cuiaba, and started next morning about
half past six o'clock, accompanied by Mr. Richards.
After crossing the small river which passes the mine, we
almost immediately began to ascend the high country on
the opposite side, and having travelled about two leagues,
through a hilly, grassy country, destitute of trees, ex-
cept in low hollow places, we crossed entirely from the
eastern to the western side of the mountain chain, of
which the Serra forms part, so as to reach the proper
place of ascent ; this we gained by skirting along the
base of the Serra, but at a considerable elevation above
the plain below, through a bushy stony spot. The first
half of the way from this place is pretty steep, and leads
over a rough hard reddish iron-stone tract, thinly covered
with a few bushes of a species of Baccharis, and another
of Lychnophora, while on the grassless stony surface of
the ground, there were numerous species of Orciidea,
among them a beautiful Lalia with yellow flowers, a very
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 501
prickly procumbent species of Cactus, and numerous
large water-bearing TiUandsiaa. Leaving this region we
came upon a flat space covered with large blocks of
micaceous rocks, the layers of which are very tortuous.
The road then winds along the western side of the moun-
tain, close to the edge of some deep precipices, and finally
ascends to a level spot, situated but a Uttle way below
the highest part of the mountain. On the extreme
northern part of this flat there is a smaU church called
Nossa Senhora de Piedade ; upon our arrival there, we
found a party consisting of half a dozen women and two
men, who had reached it a short time before us ; we
soon learned they had come to fulfil vows which they
had made some time before. We saw large oflerings
of candles they had presented to the church ; and most
of them had made promises to sweep the floor of the
chapel, for we observed that the women in particular,
cut small twigs from the bushes in the neighbourhood,
of which they made brooms, and with which they, one
after the other, swept it, but in no very careful manner.
Leaving our horses near the church, we ascended the
highest peak, which is of a very rocky nature, and
covered with a vegetation of small Orchidea and TiUand-
8tas. Ordering the refi^hments we had brought with us
to this place, we sat down on the rocks to breakfast ;
according to Spix and Martins, this mountain is 5,400
feet above the level of the sea. While skirting along
the lower part of it, we felt very cold, in consequence
of being enveloped in a mass of dense clouds which
were rolling past us, discharging at the same time enough
of their contents to wet us not a little ; I never, before
502 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
this occasion, saw so distinctly, the vescicles of which
clouds are formed. It was not till about eleven o'clock,
or nearly two hours after we had reached the summit,
that these clouds began to disperse, and then we had
a most extensive view of the country on all sides, which
is of a very hilly nature, excepting on the west, where
the flat Sertao district presents itself. Notwithstanding
the magnificence of the view obtained from this point, the
pleasure to be derived from overlooking a populous and
richly cultivated country was wanting. But few houses
came within range of the sight ; and the Villa de Santa
Luzia, about six let^es distant to the south, is the only
town that can be descried, the others being hidden by
the surrounding mountains. Two of the most pro-
minent objects that strike the view, are the Serras of
Cocaes and Cara9a, the latter of which is the highest,
and about eight leagues distant in a N.E. direction.
On the eastern side of the moimtain, close to the
church, there is a small garden, which seems to have
been well attended to in better times. I observed there
a few stinted peach and apple trees, a few potatoes, and
other European vegetables. The greater part of the
garden, as well as the top of the Serra, in front of the
church, is overrun with the common strawberry of
Europe, and being then in fruit, we each obtained a
handful. Several other European plants have become natu-
ralized, such as the chickweed, Cerastium vulgatum. The
church is kept by a middle-aged Mulatto woman, and ft
dirty-looking old white man, dressed in the habit of a
priest, who calls himself a hermit, resides there also.
Except the few vegetables which they cultivate, their
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 503
food comes all firom below, and the water they drink is
obtained from the numerous lillandsias which crowd
the rocky parts of the Serra, and which in the bases of
their leaves, contain a large quantity of water, an ordi-
nary sized plant yielding about a pint.
The Serra is rich in plants interesting to the botanist,
but not nearly so much so as the Organ Mountains,
in the province of Rio de Janeiro, owing, no doubt, to its
great want of moisture. From the upper part, I obtained
two fine shrubs belonging to the natural order Malpi^h'
iacecB ; a fine shrubby Styrax \ a Cassia, about four feet
high, which is very common near the middle of the moun-
tain ; a red flowered Gaylnssacia, and a Gualtieria, both
abundant near the summit ; a shrubby variety of Drytnis
Granatensis, several ferns, and a few mosses and lichens.
Shortly before we began to descend, the atmosphere
became so hazy, that we could see only to a short dis-
tance ; this was caused by the custom that prevails at
the end of the dry season of burning the Campos, as
this encourages the more speedy growth of a crop of new
grass, after the rains have set in ; it is also at this season
that the wood is burned on the grounds which have been
cleared for cultivation. After a very pleasant day's ex-
cursion, we reached Cuiaba about dusk, and having
spent the greater part of the evening with Dr. Morson
and his lady, I was occupied till near midnight in pre-
paring the specimens I brought with me from the Serra.
On the following day we returned to Morro Velho, the
mine of Cuiaba is very similar in its nature to that at
Morro Velho, but wrought on a much smaller scale, and
the ore moreover is not nearly so rich. During my stay
504 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
at Morro Velho, I made many little excursions in the
neighbourhood, and thus added largely to my collections.
On the morning of the 24th of September, after having
taken leave of my kind friends at Morro Velho, we again
resumed our journey. There is a direct road from this
place to the city of Ouro Preto, the capital of the pro-
vince of Minas, through which I wished to pass, but part
of my luggage having been sent on from Cocaes to a
village called San Caetano, situated about three leagues
below the city of Marianna, I was obliged to proceed
there first. It was my intention to return to Gongo Soco
by the way I had come, but the day before we left,
information reached Morro Velho, that the wooden bridge
over the Rio das Velhas, at Rapoza, had fallen down.
We were therefore obliged to return by way of Sahara,
which increased the journey about two leagues. We
passed through Sahara without halting, and arrived in
the afternoon at the Cuiaba mine, where we spent the
night with Mr. Richards, and started again next morning
after breakfast, reaching Gongo Soco between five and
six o'clock in the afternoon. Almost the whole of the
country between the two places, with the exception of
the Serra to the N.W. of Gongo, consists of bare grassy
hills, a few small woods only existing in the hollows.
Being then the end of the dry season, the hills had a
very arid and barren look, everjrthing being burned up
from the want of rain. The roads were covered with
fine yellow dust, the debris of the clay slate of which
the hills are formed ; and we were nearly the whole way
enveloped in a dense cloud of it, rising up from the
horses' feet.
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 505
At about half way between the two places, we passed
through part of the Villa de Caete, a miserable looking
town of some size, situated in a narrow shallow valley,
running in a N.E. direction from the Serra de Piedade,
the Villa itself being distant from it, about two leagues.
This Villa, like many others in the mining districts,
has all the appearance of having seen better days, as
it contains the ruins of many fine houses, as well as one
of the finest churches that exists in the interior, and St.
Hilaire doubts even if there is one in Rio de Janeiro
that may be compared with it.
On the day we left Gongo Soco, we passed through
the Arraial de San Joao do Morro Grande, and halted
for the night at a small hamlet called Barra, about a
league to the S.E. of it. The country around, as well as
the road we had passed over, was hilly, bare, and arid ;
a small stream passes through the village, the gravelly
banks of which have been completely turned over in
search of gold. Next day we made a journey of about
two leagues ; and about half a league from Barra, we
passed through the Arraial do Brumado, a long straggling
village in a state of great decay. Leaving this place,
we continued in an easterly direction till we arrived at
the foot of the Serra de Carapa, and winding along the
hilly base of its N.E. side, we reached, shortly after
mid-day, the Arraial de Catas Altas, which is situated at
the foot of the Serra towards its S.E. extremity. It
consists principally of one long street, and like Brumado
does not seem to be in a very flourishing condition. The
hills around the village, and between it and Brumado, are
covered with Capim gordura. At a considerable elevation
506 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
on the Serra itself, there is a hermitage, called Nossa
Senhora Mai dos Homens. The building was begun
by a Portuguese in 1771, who was still alive, though
above a century old, when it was visited by Spix and
Martius in 1818 ; it is now converted into a theological
seminary, but is said to contain but few pupils. This
Serra was botanically explored by St. Hilaire, as well as
by Spix and Martius, and found to be very rich in rare
and curious vegetable productions ; I wished also to devote
a day to ascend it, but the weather was very unfavourable,
as it rained heavily, and the upper parts of the mountain
were enveloped in clouds.
Leaving Catas Altas, the road takes a southerly direc-
tion, along the foot of the Serra de Cara9a ; and after
travelling about two leagues, we passed through the
Arraial de Inficionado, another long, narrow village,
about the same size as Catas Altas, and like it, in an
obvious state of decadence. About a league further on,
we arrived at the Arraial de Bento Rodrigues, where we
took up our quarters for the night in the public Rancho.
The road, on this journey, was far from good, being
both hiUy and stony ; I saw but little soil fit for planta-
tions, it being generally of a clayey nature, intermixed
with a coarse ferruginous gravel, or the debria of the
schistoze rocks of the Serra; and everywhere this soil
has been turned up in search of gold, but -with the ex-
ception of a small mine between Inficionado and Bento
Rodrigues, I saw no appearance of any workings being
carried on.
At about a league from Bento Rodrigues, we passed
through a small village, called Arraial de Camargos,
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PEETO. 507
which is situated among some hills on the side of a small
river. We were now only three leagues from the place
of our destination, San Caetano, which I was anxious
to reach without farther delay, but the road, which here
passes through a bare hilly country, is bad, and the
mules being only lately broken into work, we got on but
very slowly, from their either lying down, or going off the
road. On this account it was about five o'clock in
the afternoon when we reached the last house on the road
to San Caetano, the distance between them being some-
what less than a league. At this house, the Tropeiro
wished to remain for the night, a proposal I would by no
means consent to, especially as it threatened to rain, and
the house was so small, and so badly covered, as to afford
but very indifferent shelter. He, however, insisted on
remaining, and would have done so, had I not threatened
him with non-payment, when very much against his
will, he resumed the journey, and about dusk we reached
the Arraial de Caetano, where I found all my collections
in good condition, in the house of the Tropeiro who
brought me from Cidade do Serro, and who again agreed
to take me to Bio. In passing through a small forest,
not far from the Arraial, I collected specimens of three
kinds of tree ferns, and added to my collection of Orchi-
dea a pretty sweet-smelling Epidendrum.
The Arraial de San Caetano, which is small, and
evidently poor, is situated on the acclivity of a low hill
on the north bank of a small stream which empties itself
into the Rio Doce. It contains only one church, which
if finished on the scale it has been begun, would be a
great ornament to the place, standing as it does, on
508 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
a height which overlooks the village. Grold washing in
the bed of the stream, and along its banks, seems once
to have been the chief occupation of its inhabitants, but
that source of gain being now exhausted, they have
mostly taken to the cultivation of the soil, much of which
in the neighbourhood, is well adapted for the growth
of coffee, Indian com, &c.
The Tropeiro not being able to start for some days
after my arrival, and making objections to go round by
Ouro Preto, which 1 had a great desire to see, I deter-
mined to make a hurried visit to that city alone. I
therefore hired a guide, and started on the morning of
the 5th. of October. A journey of three leagues through
a hilly and thinly wooded country, brought me to the
city of Marianna, the situation and appearance of which
pleased me very much ; it stands on the S.W. side of a
broad level valley, on the gentle declivity of a rising
ground which skirts the base of the range of the Serra de
Itacolumi. It is more compactly built than the towns
I have generally seen in Brazil, and as there are several
fine and handsome churches, and the houses are mostly
large and white-washed, the city has altogether a very
noble appearance. In the suburbs, and even in the city
itself, many of the houses have gardens attached to them,
planted with Bananas, Oranges, and the round-headed
Jaboticabeira, which with their different shades of green,
contrast weU with the white-washed walls of the houses ;
in passing through the town, it appeared so quiet, that I
could almost have fancied it deserted. In some of the
principal streets, I saw a few shopkeepers leaning
listlessly over their counters, and on the stairs in front
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 609
of the prison, a few soldiers keeping guard ; these and
an occasional black urchin squatted at a door, were
all that gave an idea of life in the city, which is said to
contain about 5,000 inhabitants. It is more a clerical
than a commercial city, being the residence of the Bishop,
and the seat of a theological college.
The imperial city of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica
is about two leagues distant from Marianna in a south
west direction, the road, which is very good, gradually
rises towards Ouro Preto. In many places along the
side of it, there are planted at irregular distances, wild fig-
trees, natives of the country, which have grown up, and
not only give a good shade, but recall to a European the
roads of his native country. Near the entrance to the city,
where the road has been hollowed out of the soUd rock,
many galleries are to be seen entering the hills ; these
are gold workings which have been long abandoned, and
some of which are now made use of as pig-styes, by the
poor people who live in their vicinity. About half way
between the two cities, the road passes through the
Arraial de Passagem, a small village, the inhabitants of
which formerly subsisted by gold washings, but the
mines being now exhausted, they occupy themselves with
the cultivation of provisions, for which they find a ready
market in Ouro Preto.
During my short stay in the Imperial city, I lived in
the house of Senhor Jose Peixoto de Souza, having carried
letters to him from Morro Velho. He is the principal
merchant in the province of Minas, and possesses the
finest house in the city; the erection of it cost him
about £4,000 sterling, a great sum for a house in the
510 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
interior of Brazil. He is a man of a very kind and
obliging disposition, and being agent for all the English
mining companies, his house is the place where the
officers belonging to them, put up at in passing through
the city, there being no respectable inn in the whole
place ; nor is it only Englishmen who make his house a
rendezvous, his own countrymen sharing in like manner
his hospitality. During the three days I remained there,
so many guests arrived and departed, that it had more
the appearance of an inn, than the dwelling of a private
individual. He began life as a simple washer of gold
(faiscador), and is now the principal gold merchant in
the province.
The country around the city is hilly in the extreme,
and the rocks consist of clay-slates, soft micaceous iron
schist, commonly called Jacutinga, and that hard iron
slate rock, now known by the name of Itacolumite, all
disposed in layers that are much inclined ; the country
round is auriferous, and many workings exist in the
neighbourhood. In the narrow valley, on one side of
which the city stands, runs a small stream, called the
Biberao de Ouro Preto, which takes its rise in the neigh-
bourhood ; the bed of this brook consists of a soft kind
of gravel, and in it the poorer part of the inhabitants
gain a scanty subsistence by washing for gold. The
operation is called Mergular, or diving, and the people
who work in this manner are called faiscadores ; they are
generally half naked, and after raking away the larger
stones from the place, which they select in the bed of the
stream, they fill their flat wooden plate (Bateia), with the
fine gravel and sand, which is purified by washing in a
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO. 511
peculiar manner, till at last the gold dust remains in the
the bottom of the vessel, from which it is transfered to a
small leathern bag which is suspended from their middle ;
they are not able to make more than about a shilling a
day. The time they prefer is after heavy rains have
caused a strong current in the stream.
Although the city of Ouro Preto is much larger than
that of Marianna, it has not the same imposing appear-
ance> not for the want of large buildings, but from the
irregularity of its site. The greater part of it is built
upon the side of the Serra de San ^ebastiao, which forms
the N.W. boundary of a deep narrow vaUey. It is natu-
raUy divided into an upper and a lower town, the upper
being by far the finer ; it contains a number of handsome
buildings, such as the palace of the provincial government,
which is a large and well built stone edifice, standing on
one side of a square of considerable size, the opposite side
of which is formed by the town house and prison, which
is also a fine building. A httle below these stand the
barracks, which are the best I have seen in the interior ;
the treasury is also a good substantial stone building, but
the low situation, and the narrow street in which it is built,
does not allow of its being seen to advantage. The city
contains six large churches, the finest of which, Nossa
Senhora do Carmo, stands in the upper town, not far
from the prison house ; the city is abundantly suppUed
with water of an excellent quality, a fountain existing in
almost every street.
The population of the city is said to amount to about
8,000 souls ; it contains many good shops, but not one
devoted to the sale of books. It boasts, however of two
-512 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
printing offices, and four newspapers, two of which are
ministerial, and two belong to the opposition. They are
of a small folio size, and their contents ai'e almost entirely
of apoUtical natm'e. In the begining of the year 1840,
a college, a preparatory one, was established by a law
passed in the provincial assembly, in which Latin, French,
English, Philosophy, Mathematics, and Pharmacy, are
taught by as many diflferent Professors.
About a mile from the city there is a Botanic Garden,
which is maintained by government, and principally
intended for the propagation of useful exotic plants, to be
given gratis to those who may apply for them. I found
the plants principally cultivated here, to be the Tea plant.
Cinnamon, the Jaca, Breadfruit Mango, &c. Several
acres are devoted to the cultivation of tea, of which a
considerable quantity is manufactured yearly, and sold in
the city at about the same price as that which is imported
from China. The avenue leading to the garden, as well
as several others which surround it, are planted with the
Brazilian pine C^raucaria Brasiliana), which adds greatly
to the beauty of the grounds ; these trees were about
thirty years of age, and bore abundance of their large
cones yearly.
CHAFTER XIV. '
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO, AND SECOND
JOURNEY TO THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Leaves Ouro Preto — Arrives at San Caetano — ^Passes Arraial de
Pinheiro — ^Piranga — -Filippe Alvez — San Caetano — Pozo Alegre —
Sadly incommoded by a thunder-storm — ^Reaches Arraial das Mercfe
Chapeo d'Uva — ^Entre os Morros — Crosses Rio Parahybuna — ^And
enters the Province of Rio de Janeiro — ^Passes Paiol — ^Reaches
Villa de Parahyba — Crosses the River Parahyba — ^Mode of Ferrying
described — ^Passes Padre Correa — Corrego Seco— Reaches summit
Pass of the Serra d'Estrella — Magnificent view of the Metropolitan
City, its Harbour, and surrounding scenery — Arrives at Porto
d'Estrella — ^Embarks for the City and finally anives at Rio de '
Janeiro — ^All the Collections brought from the Interior, are arranged
and shipped to England — ^The author resolves again to visit the
Organ Mountains — His departure for the Serra — ^Adds largely to his
Collections — ^Ascends the loftiest peaks of the Mountains — Their
elevation above the sea about 7,500 feet — ^Departs on an excursion
to the Interior — Passes the Serra do Capim — Monte Caffi^ — Santa
Eliza — Sapucaya — ^Port^ d'Anta — Crosses Rio Parahyba — Passes
Barro do Lourical — San Jos^ — Porto da Cunha — ^Recrosses the Rio
Parahyba — ^Reaches Cantagallo^ Visits Novo Friburgo — ^Description
of these two Swiss Colonies — Pleasant sojourn in the Organ
Mountains.
Two days after my return from the city of Ouro Preto,
we left the village of San Caetano for Rio de Janeiro,
and having travelled in a S.E. direction about two
leagues and a half, we halted for the night in a public
Rancho near a small Fazenda. It rained heavily nearly
all the way, and there was much thunder ; our road was
2l
514 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
through a hilly country, the hollows only being thickly
wooded; in marshy spots I observed some fine large
Talauma trees, which are the Magnolias of South
America, and whose large blossoms are equally fragrant.
The rain continued all night, but towards morning the
weather cleared up and allowed us to resume our journey.
Besides the mules that were employed to carry my
luggage, the Tropeiro had many others loaded with coflFee,
an article which is now cultivated to a considerable
extent in the province of Minas. Another journey of
three leagues and a half, through a hOly, well wooded,
and rather thickly inhabited country, brought us to the
Arraial do Pinheiro, a small village surrounded by Gold
washings, which, however, are upon a very small scale.
In the Rancho, in which we passed the night, there were
" two other large troops, one of which was conveying coffee
to Rio and the other on its way thence with salt for the
interior. The woods through which we passed, reminded
me very much of those on the Organ Mountains, not
only fix)m their general appearance, but from the great
similarity in the vegetation. Three or four beautiful
kinds of tree-ferns, often reaching to the height of from
thirty to forty feet, grew in humid shady places \ and on
the more elevated tracts, were seen many large trees of
an arboreous Vemoniay upwards of forty feet high,
covered with large panicles of white flowers, which, along
with the blossoms of a large Myrciay perfumed the air
with their rich odour.
Still following a 8.E. direction, we reached the Arraial
de Piranga, which is about three leagues distant from the
village of Pinheiro ; this Arraial, like many others we
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 515
had passed before, owed its origin to the gold which
existed in the soil of this neighbourhood • at one time
great quantities were found here, but the workings are
now nearly exhausted. The population consists of about
1,200 persons, most of whom are in great poverty ; it
has a dull and deserted appearance, but at the same time
all the indications of former opulence; it contains three
churches, and the greater part of the houses are large,
and generally of two stories, a mode of construction not
very common in the villages of Brazil ; many of the inha-
bitants are now following agricultural pursuits. Our
next day's journey of about four leagues, through a
country similar to that we had just left behind, but more
thinly wooded, brought us to a large Fazenda, called
Fihppe Alvez. We were allowed to pass the night in the
sugar mill, a large building open nearly all round ; the
mill was worked by a water wheel about thirty feet in
diameter, which at times was also used to put in motion
a machine for pounding Indian com ; the latter which
was at work both by day and night, annoyed us not a
little by its noise. Large tracts of land near the house
had lately been planted with Indian com and rice.
From Filippe Alvez, we went on to a small viUage
called the Arraial de San Caetano, the distance being
about three leagues. It is a small and miserable place,
and although it contains a few shops, I could find no pro-
visions to purchase, excepting farinha made from Indian
corn. On this joumey, I found a fine large species of
Equiaetuniy the largest indeed that has yet been seen in
the recent state ; it grew abundantly in a wooded marsh
near the road, and I measured one that was upwards of
2l2
516 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
fifteen feet in height, the lower part of the stem being full
three inches in circumference. Although of gigantic size,
when compared with the other species existing at present
on the earth's surface, it is far from equaUing those
enormous remains, which are found in the fossil state in
the coal strata, and known to geologists under the name
of Calamites ; many of these have stems as thick as a
man's body ; indeed the diflference in size between the
recent species of Equisetumy and those which have existed
at a former period of the earth's history, is about as great
as between a stem of wheat, and the gigantic bamboos
of the East Indies and of South America.
We travelled on the following day about three leagues,
through a hilly country, which in some places was well
wooded, but the greater part of it consisted of large
cleared tracts which had formerly been under cultivation,
but were now every where covered with the large brake I
have before mentioned ; this fern is not, however, entirely
without use, for the young shoots cut into small pieces
and boiled, or stewed with pork, are eaten by the inhabi-
tants, and are said to be not only pleasant to the taste,
but wholesome. We took up our quarters for the night
in a large open Rancho, near a Eazenda called Pozo
Alegre.
At this place we spent a most miserable night ; about
midnight we were awakened by a dreadful tempest of
thunder, wind, and rain, which came from the westward.
The Rancho, was open all round, and the end that
faced the storm, was unfortunately that where Mr.
Walker and I had slung our hammocks. When I awoke,
a loud peal of thunder was rolling fearfully right over
OURO PHETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 517
US ; my hammock was swinging to and fro by the force
of the wind, which was blowing a hurricane, and we were
soon completely drenched by the rain, which fell upon
us in streams from the roof. My greatest dread was that
the old shed would be blown down upon us, but it
fortunately withstood the blast ; my collection of botanical
specimens suffered very much, as the boxes in which
they were packed, were arranged in the middle of the
floor, and this being considerably lower than the sides,
it soon filled with water to the depth of six inches ; in
consequence of this, the parcels in the bottoms of four
of the boxes were greatly damaged. The storm lasted for
an hour with undiminished force, and as soon as it abated
we struck a light, for our fire had been completely extin-
guished ; the water was quickly bailed out of the shed,
and the boxes raised from the ground ; a fire was kindled
with some difficulty, around which we all crowded, for
we were suffering much from the cold ; it now became
a question how we were to sleep, during the remainder of
the night, as every thing available for a bed was
thoroughly wet. For my own part I arranged some
pieces of wood, that had been brought in the evening
before for fuel, alongside the fire, and although the bed
thus formed was not a very soft one, I contrived to pass
the night tolerably well.
The next morning being still cloudy, without any
probability of the appearance of the sun, I sent to the
owner of the Rancho to ask permission to dry my plants
in the Mandiocca stove ; and, as he returned word that I
might do so, we had everything taken there in a short
time. On our arrival at the house, he seemed to have
518 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
changed his mind, from what cause I know not, for he
told me very plainly that we might go somewhere else,
as he would not allow us to enter his premises ; I have
seldom been so much annoyed as I was at this conduct.
This man, whose name was Major Domingos Jose de
Barros, was about eighty years of age, a Portuguese by
birth, and said to be worth upwards of a hundred thou-
sand crusados ; he was of a most miserly disposition, as
indeed his whole appearance testified, his dress being old
and of the coarsest materials.
We went on about half a league further, to a Fazenda
belonging to a son-in-law of the old miser, who was also
a Portuguese, but altogether different in disposition. He
immediately gave me accommodation for my luggage,
and the sun shining out brightly shortly after our arrival,
we lost no time in spreading out the collections that had
been wetted the previous night. We were again visited by
a thunder-storm in the afternoon, which prevented us from
getting more than half of them dried. At this Fazenda,
where I received much hospitality, I remained the whole
of the following day to complete the drying and packing
of my collection, and next morning, a journey of about
thre« leagues brought us to the Arraial das Merces, a
village which consists of a single street about a quarter
of a mile in length. In a large square in the middle of
it, are a few good houses of two stories, and the only
church ; this last is built of large unbumed bricks, and
being unplastered, has a very mean appearance when
contrasted with the white- washed houses by which it is
surrounded. The whole village has a much greater ap-
pearance of prosperity than any we had passed on the
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 519
road from Marianna, the reason is obvious, the non-
existence of gold in its vicdnity. The country during
this day's journey was still hilly, and covered with virgui
forests. We passed several Eazendas, the houses of
which were very ill-built and dirty, and very different
from what I expected to find in this part of Brazil. Near
these houses large tracts of forests had lately been cut
down and burned, and the ground so cleared, planted
with Indian com, which is the staple article of food in
the southern, as Mandiocca is in the northern provinces.
During the four following days, we accomplished about
fourteen leagues, and arrived at Chapeo d'Uva, at which
place, the road by which we came, called the Caminho do
Mato, or forest road, joins that of the ordinary traffic which
passes through the city of Barbacena, and the Gampo dis-
trict between it and the capital of Minas. Our route, on
these journeys, was still through a hilly country, and the
roads were extremely bad, passing for the most part through
virgin forests, the trees of which, in some places, were
very large, consisting principally of different kinds of
Cecrapia, FocAysia, Copaifera, Laurtis^ Metis, Euffenia,
Myrcia, and Pleroma. I also observed many kinds of
tree-ferns and Palms, the most abundant of the latter tribe
being the slender cabbage palm, {Euterpe edtdiSy Mart.),
several of which we cut down for the sake of the long
terminal bud, which when cooked, is equal to asparagus
in flavour. At Chapeo d'Uva we slept as usual in a
public Rancho, and from this place we made a journey of
about three leagues, and halted at a large Rancho near
the village of Entre os Morros. The road was excellent,
being part of the new line, then in course of construction.
520 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
from Rio to Ouro Preto by way of Barbacena. About
two leagues and a half from Chapeo d'Uva, we passed the
first toll-bar I met with on a highway in Brazil: all
animals, whether loaded or unloaded, pay here thirty reis
a league, which is the sum also charged for foot-passen-
gers. The distance hence to the next toll-bar is ten
leagues, and the whole amount has to be paid here for
the distance to the next bar, which was then the termina-
tion of the finished part of the road. The legislative
assembly passed a law, three years prior to this period,
authorizing the provincial assembly of Minas Geraes to
make new roads through the most populous districts, and
a loan was soon afterwards raised, of upwards of £40,000
sterling, to carry this law into execution. These ten
leagues, that I found completed in the end of the year
1840, were undertaken on the worst part of the Minas
road, the country through which it passes, being for the
most part low and marshy. So great is the traffic on this
route, that the amount collected at the toll-bars, was at
this time sufficient to pay the interest on the loan, and in
the course of a few years, it was expected that a tolerable
cart-road would be completed from Rio de Janeiro to the
capital of the Mining district.
Shortly after passing the toll-bar, we crossed the Rio
Parahybuna on a temporary bridge, erected until a per-
manent one for the new road, which was in course of
construction, could be finished : the abutments are already
substantially built of stone, but the arch was to be of
wood. On the banks of the river I found a beautiful
species of the genus Petrcjeay climbing among the branches
of the trees; and in a marsh, at a little distance from
OURO PBETO TO RIO D£ JANEIRO. 521
the stream, a fine species of Franciscea^ which grew
where the water lay about two feet deep ; it was very
plentiful, and literally covered with its beautiful purple
blossoms. On the third day afterwards, we passed the
second toll-bar, and again crossed the Rio Parahybuna
at the place where it divides the province of Minas Geraes
from that of Rio de Janeiro. The river is much broader
here than at the former place, and there is an excellent
bridge over it, consisting of several small arches; the
abutments and piers are built with stone, and the arches
are of wood ; the whole is roofed over to protect the
wood-work from the influence of the weather. Shortly
after crossing the river, we halted for the night at a
little hamlet, called Paiol. The country on both sides
of the river is very hilly, and before we reached Paiol,
we crossed a rather high Serra, called the Serra das
Abobras, which is composed entirely of Gneiss rocks,
large blocks of which often render the path difficult to
pass over. Before we reached the Rio Parahybuna, the
road sides were covered with a beautiful species of
BugenmUeay which being at that season in full flower, was
a great ornament to the woods, the large rose-coloured
bracts of its flowers rendering it a very conspicuous
object.
Our next journey brought us to the Villa de Parahyba,
which is situated on the N.W. bank of the river of the
same name, which we crossed here in a boat. The mules
were not unloaded, but were taken over in a large flat
punt, which conveyed about fifteen at a time. A strong
iron chain was stretched across the river, at the height
of a few feet above the water, to which the punt was
522 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
attached by a smaller chain with h ring on it, so as to
allow it to run from one end to the other, and prevent
the boat from being carried down the stream, which runs
with considerable force ; the punt was then pulled over
by a rope, an operation in which three blacks were em-
ployed. About four years before I visited this place, a
stone bridge had been begun, a few hundred yards from
the ferry, but the erection of it was going on very slowly ;
the northern abutment and three piers were all that were
then finished. The foundation on which it is built is
good, the bed of the river at this place being formed of
Gniess rock, the strata of which are nearly vertical. At
the ferry, ninety reis' (three pence) were charged for each
animal.
Three days after we passed the Rio Parahyba, we
arrived at a large Fazenda, called Padre Correa, the dis-
tance between the two places being about seven leagues ;
the road in many places was very bad, and the country
still continued hilly and densely covered with virgin
forests.
The Fazenda of Padre Correa is situated in a hollow
surrounded by bare hills; the buildings, consisting of
the dwelling-house, a small chapel attached to it, the
Rancho, and a Venda, form nearly three sides of a large
square, in the centre of which stands a very large tree,
a species of wUd fig, which a little above the root divides
into two stems of nearly equal size. On a height to the
east of the Fazenda, are seen two large rows of the
Brazilian pines, which add much to the beauty of the
place ; a small river called the Piabanha, that passes near
it, falls into the Parahyba. An extensive manufactory
OURO PRETO TO RIO DS JANEIRO. 523
of horse-shoes, and such iron implements as are used in
the country, is carried on at this place. Our next jour-
ney brought me once more in sight of the sea. The
road between Padre Correa and the pass of the Serra
d' Estrella, which is a continuation of the Organ moun-
tains, was then under repair; the workmen were Ger-
mans, who lived in a small village by themselves ; we
also passed through a small miserable village called Cor-
rego Seco. The country very much resembles that I have
elsewhere described, between the Organ Mountains and
the Swiss colony of Novo Friburgo, being very hilly
and covered with magnificent virgin forests. From the
top of the pass, there is a fine view of the country around
Eio de Janeiro, and of the bay with its numerous verdant
islands. On reaching this spot, I stood for a long time
admiring the first scenes of my labours in Brazil ; my
feelings, on looking down on the magnificent view before
me, were such as would be experienced after returning
to my native country, for everything brought to my
recollection the remembrance of past times, and of kind
friends, the Sugar Loaf, the Corcovado, the Gavea, and the
Peak of Tijuca, were rearing high their cloudless summits,
as if to welcome me back to a place of civilization.
The most elevated part of this pass, is about 3,000 feet
above the level of the sea; the descent of the Serra,
from its zigzag nature, is about a league in length ; it
is well constructed, being paved with large blocks of
stone, and is kept in excellent repair ; as it was rather
steep in some places, and the road was good, I preferred
walking down it to riding. A little beyond the foot of
the Serra, we passed Mandiocca, the estate which formerly
524 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
belonged to M. Langsdorif, the late Russian Consul
General in Brazil, and celebrated traveller ; it now belongs
to the Government, and has been converted into a gun-
powder manufactory. The Estrella pass is much better
than that of the Organ Mountains, but by the latter, the
journey to Minas is. shortened by about sixteen leagues.
A little way beyond Mandiocca, we halted at a large
Rancho, whence, after having arranged the collections that
had been made on the journey, I started alone for the Porto
d' Estrella, with the intention of embarking there in the
evening for Rio de Janeiro, so as to have a place prepared
for the reception of my luggage, previous to its arrival.
The distance I had to ride, was about three leagues,
through a flat, generally marshy country, quite like that
between Piedade and the beginning of the ascent to
Mr. March's estate. It was late in the afternoon when I
arrived at the village of Porto d' Estrella, and as boats
can only start for the city after the sea breeze has ceased
to blow, I found that I had arrived much too early, and
not having yet dined, I looked out for a place where I
could procure something to eat ; on enquiring of the lad
at the Venda from whence the boats start, I was told they
were in the habit of preparing repasts for travellers, and
that if I wished him to do so, he would provide a dinner
for me. After waiting with no little patience for upwards
of two hours, I was at last shown into a small dirty
back-room, when a dish of fish fried in oil, and Perao,
a kind of thick paste prepared from Mandiocca flour,
were set before me ; but everything was so dirty, that
very little sufficed to satisfy my appetite.
Nearly all the goods to be conveyed into the interior.
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 525
are shipped at Rio, in large boats called Faluas, and
landed at this village, the packages being all of the same
weight, so that they may counterbalance each other, when
put upon the backs of the mules that are destined to carry
them inland ; there is therefore much activity here, as
a day never passes without the airival and departure of
several large troops. The chief articles brought to this
place from the interior, are coffee, cheese, bacon, quince
marmalade, &c. The village is a long, dirty, straggling
place, with few inducements to detain the traveller. About
seven o'clock in the evening, I was informed that the
boat I had hired was ready to sail, but I had no sooner
got on board, than a heavy thunder-storm came rolling
down from the mountains, and put off our starting for an
hour. The village is a mile distant from the sea, being
built on the banks of a small river, called the Inhomerim,
and so slow was our progress, that it was eleven o'clock
before we reached its conjfluence with the bay. At this
point a very good inn exists, which, as I experienced on a
future occasion, affords very good accommodation. As the
land-breeze was very faint, the boat had to be rowed
nearly all the way, and on this account it was about four
o'clock in the morning before we reached the city. Not
wishing to disturb any of my friends at so early an hour, I
remained in the boat till six o'clock, when I went to the
house of Messrs. William Harrison and Co., and received
from my old friends there, .a kind and hearty welcome
back to Rio de Janeiro, after an absence of more than
three years.
Two days afterwards, (on the 2nd of November, 1840),
Mr. Walker arrived with all my luggage in good condi-
526 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tion. Knowing, from former experience, how ill-suited
either an hotel or a boarding-house are for a naturalist to
carry on his operations in, I determined to hire a small
house ; and in the district called Catumby, which is in
the immediate vicinity of the city, I found one that,
in every respect answered my purpose. Having furnished
it economically, I had my collections removed thither,
and as they amounted to about 3,000 species, including
upwards of 60,000 specimens in Botany alone, it took
me about three months to classify and properly pack
them, previous to their being sent to England.
During this residence in Rio, my time passed away very
pleasantly, the agreeable society which I mingled with,
making sufficient amends for the solitude and privations
of the three preceding years. The days were generally
devoted to my collections, and the evenings were spent
with the families of some one or other of the many resi-
dent English Merchants. I had also the pleasure at this
time, of making the acquaintance of Dr. Udefonso Gomez,
a talented Brazilian physician, who, when a young man,
accompanied M. Auguste de St. Hilaire on his fest jour-
ney to the mining districts. His house, which is in the
country, and only a mile fix)m my residence, was always
open to me, as it ever has been to all scientific men who
have visited Rio. I likewise spent many agreeable hours
with my near neighbour M. Riedel, the Russian Botanist,
and companion of M. Langsdorff in his journey through
the interior of Brazil, and we made several excursions
together to the woods, in pursuit of objects connected
with our favourite science.
As soon as my labours in Rio were brought to a con-
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 527
elusion, I resolved to make another journey to the Organ
mountains, being desirous of devoting more time to the
investigation of the botany of the higher regions of that
chain, than I had been able to do, during my former
residence there. For this purpose, I left Rio on the
12th of March, 1841, and during the following month,
occupied myself in making excursions on Mr. March's
estate. "The weather was too variable to think of making
a journey to the top of the Serra, but by the beginning
of April it became more settled, and having been joined
by Mr. George Hockin, a gentleman from the house of
Messrs Harrison, and Co., who had frequently accompa-
nied me in my previous excursions in the neighbourhood
of Rio, preparations were made for ascending the moun-
tains on the 9th. We left the Fazenda about 8 o'clock
A.M., taking with us three blacks, besides my own ser-
vant ; my old guide, Pai Filippe, was now too infirm to
undertake such a journey, but his place was filled by one
of his sons. Following the path I had made four years
before, we reached, about four o'clock, the highest point
I had attained on my former visit, and at this place,
under the ledge of a rock, we slept for the night ; this
being a very convenient, and well sheltered spot, we de-
cided to make it our head quarters during the few days we
remained in the mountains. Besides specimens of nearly
all the plants which I found on my previous journey, I
collected on the ascent, many that were new to me ; two
of the most remarkable of these were a kind of Fucksia
{F. alpestris, Gardn.), and a very extraordinary species of
Utricularia ; the latter to which I have given the name
of U. nelumln/olia, has since been published in Hooker's
528 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
Icones PlantaruMy where a very excellent figure of it is
given ; like most of its congeners, it is aquatic, but what
is most curious, is that it is only to be found growing in
the water which collects in the bottom of the leaves of a
large TUlandsiay that inhabits abundantly an arid rocky
part of the mOimtain, at an elevation of about 5,000 feet
above the level of the sea. Besides the ordinary method
by seed, it propagates itself by runners, which it throws
out from the base of the flower stem ; this runner is always
found directing itself towards the nearest TUland^ia^ when
it inserts its point into the water, and gives origin to a
new plant, which in its turn, sends out another shoot ; in
this manner I have seen not less than six plants united.
The leaves, which are peltate, measure upwards of three
inches across ; and the flowering stem, which is upwards
of two feet long, bears numerous large purple flowers.
On the following morning, after an early breakfast, we
set out to ascend that part of the Serra, which appears
from the Fazenda house, to be the highest ; this peak,
which I had been prevented from ascending in 1837, was
reached in the following year by the Rev. Mr. Maister,
who was then the English clergyman at Rio ; and again
about six weeks before our visit, by Mr. Lobb, an English
gardener, who had been sent out by a nurseryman to
collect seeds and living plants ; we thus found a path
ready made for us. This part of the mountain is about
600 feet higher than the spot we had chosen for our
bivouac. Starting then from this place, we made a
descent into a wooded ravine, in which the ground was
covered by the beautiful Aktroemeria nemorosay and many
delicate ferns, while the branches of the MelastomaceiBy
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 529
and other trees and shrubs, were festooned with the
climbing Fuchsia^ brilliant with its rich scarlet blossoms.
Then ascending for some time, through a well wooded
tract, we entered upon a steeper portion of the mountain,
overspread with beautiful flowering shrubs, among which
were several fine MelastomacecB, fruticose Compodtay a
Guidtheria, some species of Vacdnium, and a hand-
some new EacaUoniay {E. OrganensiSy Grardn.), bearing a
profusion of rose-coloured blossoms. The summit of this
peak we found to consist of several enormous loose blocks
of granite, covered with Lichens y small species of OrcTiidecBy
GesnerecBy and where there was any accumulation of soil, a
large-flowered Amaryllia {Hippeastrum Organen8ii)y now
common in English hot-houses ; the climbing Faclma in
a dwarf procumbent state was also found here. Upon
reaching the summit, we erected a pole and flag, in order
to give notice to our friends below, that we had got up
in safety ; and immediately afterwards, by the aid of a
glass^ we saw it answered by another from one of the
English cottages, near the Fazenda. The day was beau-
tifully clear, and we had a splendid view of the sur-
rounding country. On looking ■ to the westward,
however, it was evident that we were not on the most
elevated point of the range, as we observed, about a mile
distant, a broadly rounded peak, considerably higher;
and we accordingly determined to ascend it on the fol-
lowing day. I here met with two very interesting plants,
one a beautiful tree-fern, which proved to be the Hemitelia
CapensiSy a native of the Cape of Good Hope, which is
a remarkable fact in the geographical distribution of
plants, as tree-ferns have a very Umited range ; the other
2m
530 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
was a very handsome herbaceous plant, about four feet
high, with a woolly stem, and large leaves, not unlike
those of a Verbascum, exhibiting large panicles of orange
coloured flowers ; it belonged to the natural order Com"
posita, and as it proved to be a new genus, I named it
after my late lamented friend, J. E. Bowman, Esq., of
Manchester.
Early on the following day, we started to ascend the
loftiest peak of the mountain, before noticed, and found
it to be a more fatiguing journey than that of the pre-
vious day, in consequence of having to cut our way
through two or three wooded tracts^ of considerable
breadth; the paths of the Tapir, however, firequently
facilitated our progress. Very shortly after we started,
we were agreeably surprised to find, in the lower part of
the valley we had to cross, a beautiful little stream of
cool and limpid water, descending from the more elevated
parts of the mountain, and flowing towards the east ; in
many places there were pools considerably broader and
deeper than the general course of the stream, which,
judging from the paths leading into them, had been
formed by the Tapirs that inhabit this portion of the
mountain, whei^e they can enjoy, undisturbed, their
favourite luxury of cold bathing. This valley is some-
what less than a quarter of a mile square, and is covered
on both sides of the stream, but particularly on the west,
with virgin forests, the trees of which are of considerable
size, one of the largest being a species of Weinmannia,
The soil appears to be of exceUent quaUty, there being
a good depth of alluvial matter ; indeed, in no part of
Brazil have I seen a spot where a person, desirous of ex-
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 531
eluding himself from the world, could find a retreat, at once
so healthy, beautiful, and fertile, as this ; here all kinds of
European fruits and vegetables might be cultivated in the
greatest perfection ; and the stream, besides fmmishing a
constant supply of the most delicious water, might Hke-
wise be made to work a small mill. Passing over a lull
that bounds the western side of this valley, we came upon
an open flat marshy tract, the greater part of which is
covered with a tall coarse grass, about five feet high,
growing in tufts. Leaving this, we entered another
wooded spot, formed of trees of a much smaller size than
those before observed, and passed through it along the
tracks of the Tapir, where I was rather surprised to observe
that while the stem and branches of almost every tree
were covered with the beautiful little Sopkronitis ffrandi-
flora, no other orchideous plant was to be seen ; beyond
this, we met with no more wood ; the vegetation con-
sisting of various herbaceous plants, and a few stunted
shrubs. From the wooded region, the summit of the moun-
tain is gained by a steep acclivity, on one side of which
is a broad ravine, fall of immense blocks of granite.
The summit of this peak we found to be very different
firom that we visited the day before, consisting of one great
mass of granite flat on its surface, and of considerable ex-
tent ; the rock is, for the most part, bare, but some portions
of the western side were covered with a vegetation of
stunted shrubs, and herbaceous plants ; among the latter,
the most abundant was the pretty Prepusa Hookeriana,
the large inflated calyces of which resemble those of some
species of catchfly ; on the very summit, were seen many
little excavations in the rock, full of excellent water, and
2m2
532 TRAVELS IN' BRAZIL. ^
had we been aware of this, it would have saved us the
trouble of carrying with us a supply in bottles. The day
was very fine, but a broad belt of clouds that spread
around the mountain, below us, prevented us from en-
joying the extensive view on which we had fully calcu-
lated. At mid-day, the thermometer indicated a tempe-
rature of 64°, in the shade, and I found that water boiled
at a heat of 198°, from which I estimate the height of
the mountain, above the level of the sea, to be 7800 feet.
A register of the thermometer, kept during our stay on
the uppier regions of the Serra, and another observed on
the level of Mr. March's Fazenda, gave a mean difference
of temperature between the two places, of 12. 5 degrees.
Baron Humboldt estimates the mean decrement of heat
within the tropics, at 1° for every 344 feet of elevation,
and considers this ratio as uniform up to the height of
8,000 feet, beyond which it is reduced to three fifths of that
quantity, as far as the elevation of 20,000 feet ; it has,
however, been since found, that in general, the effect of
0evation above the level of the sea, in diminishing tem-
perature, is, in all latitudes, nearly in proportion to the
height, the decrement being 1° of heat for every 352
feet of altitude*; this would give 4,400 feet for the ele-
vation of the highest peak of the Organ mountains, above
Mr. March's Fazenda,t and as this is 3,100 feet above the
level of the sea, we have for the total greatest elevation,
7,500 feet. We returned to our former resting-place in
the evening, well pleased with our day's excursion.
* Phillips, Treatise on Geology, in Lardner's Cyclopedia, vol. iL p.S27.
t For view of the Organ Mountains, and Mr. March's Fazenda, se9
Frontispiece.
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 533
On the morning of the 12th, at 6 o'clock, the thermo-
meter indicated 44 ^ the weather being very clear, and
accompanied with a sharp breeze from the westward.
On climbing to the top of the rock mider which we had
slept, one of the most magnificent views I have ever seen
presented itself; towards Rio de Janeiro, the immense
bay, and all the country intervening between it and the
mountain, were hidden from us, by a mass of snow white
clouds, spread out, apparently, about 3,000 feet below
the point where we stood; shortly after sunrise, this
space appeared like a vast ocean covered with foam, the
resemblance being increased by the tops of the lower
mountains rising through them, like islands ; in the op-
posite direction, the valley in which Mr. March's Fazenda
stands, was also obscured, in a similar manner, by clouds,
giving it the appearance of an extensive lake, surrounded
on all sides by mountains ; but as the sun gained power,
these clouds gradually dispersed. After breakfast, Mr.
Hockin started again to visit the highest peak, for the
purpose of making a panoramic sketch from its summit,
but did not succeed, owing to the cloudy state of the
atmosphere that surrounded it; I did not accompany
him, as I preferred making a few lateral excursions in the
vicinity of our encampment. Late in the evening we
observed a phenomenon, often witnessed on the tops of
mountains ; large masses of clouds, in a continued stream,
came rolling from the westward, over the tops of the
peaks, but no sooner had they reached the upper part of
the vaUey opposite our hut, than they disappeared, the
vapour being dissolved by the higher temperature of the
air that existed on the opposite side of the mountain ; it
534 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
is in this manner that a mass of clouds is often seen as if
resting on a high peak, even when a strong breeze is
blowing. On the morning of the 13th, we bade adieu to
our rocky dwelling, and slept that night in a little hut we
erected in a grove of small palms and tree-ferns, by the
side of a small stream, the sides oi which were fringed
with beautiful herbaceous ferns. On the following after-
noon, we reached the Fazenda, after an absence of six
days.
In order to gratify my desire of examining the exten-
sive virgin forests which exist on the banks of the Rio
Farahyba, I determined to make a hurried visit there
previous to my return to Rio de Janeiro. The Farahyba
forms the boundary between the provinces of Rio. and
Minas Geraes, but only after it has been joined by the
Farahybuna. On this expedition I was again accompanied
by Mr. Hockin, and was glad to have so excellent a com-
panion. We left the Fazenda on the 24th of March, and
after a journey of seven leagues, arrived at a farm called
Serra do Capim. We followed a new road, which was
in progress of construction under the superintendence of
Col. Leite, a wealthy planter, leading from Fiedade, over
the Organ Mountains, towards Minas Geraes, but it was
then in a barely passable condition. By far the greater
part of the country through which we travelled, was in
a state of nature, being covered with virgin forest, abound-
ing in tree-ferns and palms. The Fazenda, where we
rested, belonged to a gentleman residing in Rio, but the
letter I carried to the manager of the farm procured us a
hearty reception ; corn was immediately ordered for our
mules, and we were shortly regaled with an excellent sup-
OURO PETRO TO BIO DE JANEIRO. 535
per. We found our host to be a kind and intelligent old
man, who infonned me that he had followed the profession
of apothecary for many years in Minas ; like most of the
Fazendeiros in Brazil, he acts as physician to the hospital
of this estate, so that he was glad of an opportunity of con-
sulting me on most of the cases under his charge. Next
morning he would not allow us to depart till after break-
fast.
On leaving this place we soon passed through some of
the finest forests I had yet seen in the province, and in
the afternoon arrived at a large coffee plantation, called
Monte Gaffe, the distance being about seven leagues.
This Fazenda belonged to a Brazilian, called Brigadeiro
Ignacio Gabriel, to whom I had also letters of recommen-
dation. Although we did not find him at home, we were
most kindly welcomed to the estate by his lady, and Mr.
Hadley his chief manager, who is an Englishman, and
whom I had formerly met at Mr. March's, during my
stay there in 1837. The estate was at this time only in
its infancy, but it was considered to be one of the finest
in the district, and although the trees were young, it was
expected they would this year jdeld 12,000 arrobas of
coffee, of 821bs. each. At the period of our visit, the
berries were just beginning to colour, and the branches
were bent down with the weight of their produce. The
country here consists of low hills, upon which the planta-
tions are formed ; these hills had previously being covered
with forest. There were about 200 slaves on the estate,
70 of whom only were employed as field-labourers, the
others being occupied at various trades, such as cabinet-
makers, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, &c. A few
536 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
days previous to our arrival, about twenty young Negro
boys, recently imported, were brought up from Bio ; they
appeared to be between ten and fifteen years of age, and
none could yet speak Portuguese. They were all active,
healthy little fellows, running about laughing, playing,
and seemingly happy and unconscious of the circum-
stances in which they were placed. In justice, however,
to the Brazilians I must say of them, after an experience
of five years, that they are far from being hard task-
masters, and that with very few exceptions, I found them
kind and considerate to their slaves. The Brigadier had
lately erected an excellent saw-mill, which was driven by
water-power, and he was then erecting a large stove for the
purpose of drying coffee by artificial heat. The super-
intendence of this work was undertaken by a German,
who had resided for many years in the island of Java.
On the morning of the 28th we left Monte Caffe, and
proceeded on our way to the Bio Parahyba, which was
only about a league and a half distant. Mr. Hadley ac-
companied us for about a league, and while passing
through a small estate called Santa Eliza, which adjoins
Monte Caffe, and belongs also to the Brigadier, he informed
us that about twenty years before, it was owned by a per-
son who made use of the house as a place of decoy for travel-
lers to and from Muias Geraes, and who, as soon as they
fell into his snares, were robbed and miu*dered. His house
is still standing, but is now uninhabited ; the trap-doors
which he employed for these diabolical purposes are still
to be seen in the floor. We shortly afterwards came in
sight of the river, and reached the banks at a place
where the stream rushes with great force through a
OURO PRMO TO RIO DE JANEIRO, 637
narrow, rocky channel. We expected to have been able to
pass it here, but were told that we could not do so for
want of a canoe, and were advised to go a league and a
half further up to a place called Sapucaya, which we ac-
cordingly did. The road for nearly the whole distance
runs parallel with the river, through a most magnificent
forest, the trees being of great size, and in general with
very straight stems, often rising unbranched to a height
of upwards of one hundred feet. In riding along I could
not help feeling deep regret, that in these regions many
square leagues of such forests were being every year cut
down and burned, in order to make room for plantations
of coffee. There are no means of conveying this fine
timber to the coast, as the river, although of considerable
flow, is not navigable for rafts, owing to its many rocky
rapids. At this place, I observed the bed of the stream
to be formed of thin strata of Gneiss rocks, cropping out
vertically, and like the course of the river running from
west to east.
Sapucaya is a small hamlet, consisting of a few houses
of very recent construction, which owe their origin to
their proximity to a new bridge, at this time in process of
erection across the river, in connexion with Colonel Leite's
new road to the province of Minas Geraes. We here
found a canoe, suited only for foot-passengers ; horsemen,
we were told, seldom came this way at this season, owing
to the swollen state of the stream, and the rapidity of its
current rendering it dangerous to swim horses across.
We were consequently advised to go another league and
a half farther up the river, to a place called Porto d' Anta.
At Sapucaya we gave our mules a feed of Indian corn.
588 TRAVELS IN BEAZIL.
bnt we could find no refreshment for ourselves^ excepting
a few Bananas and a little Farinha de Mandiocca, upon
which we made oiu: dinners. On the stems of the trees
in the forest, I met with many fine orchideous plants, one
of the most abundant, and certainly the most beautiful,
being the CatUeya laUata. The country between Sapu-
caya and Porto d'Anta, which we reached about dusk was
somewhat similar to that observed lower down the river,
but not so well wooded. At this place we were at length
enabled to cross the river, there being a regular ferry-boat
established for horses, consisting of three large canoes
lashed together, planked over and railed round. The
river here was about the breadth of the Clyde at Erskine
Ferry, but the current was much more rapid. The Baica,
as the ferry-boat is called, was rowed across, but, in con-
sequence of the current, the boatmen were first obliged
to ascend the river a considerable way before they began
to cross. We found a very good Venda on the opposite
side of the stream, where we put up for the night, and
where we had in a short time a very excellent supper,
and were provided with tolerable beds.
Next morning after breakfast, we went on to a
Fazenda called Barra de Lourigal, belonging to Colond
Gustodio Leite, whom I have before alluded to, as super-
intending the construction of the new road^ and whom I
had frequently met at Mr. March's during my former
stay there ; this place is about a league and a half
distant from Forto D'Anta, and we had again to descend
along the banks (rf the river about a league, by a very
romantic road that leads through a fine forest abounding
in objects of great interest to the botanist, as well as
OURO PRBTO TO BIO DE JANEIRO. 589
the zoologist ; we observed numerous monkeys passing
along the branches of trees over our heads, particularly a
large black howler {Mycetes), the females of which were
canying their young upon their backs. We then struck
off to the north/ and reached the Fazenda early in the
forenoon ; we did not find the Colonel at home, but
one of his sons received us very kindly. This is a very
fine estate yielding annually about 10,000 arrobas of
coffee. On the following day we went to pay a visit to
Captain Francisco Leite, a brother of the Colonel, whose
Fazenda is about a league and a half farther north. We
were fortunate enough to find him at home, when he
showed us all that was worth seeing on his estate ; he is
a tall thin man, and although considerably advanced in
years, is of a most active and lively disposition. He
informed me he was a native of the mining districts, and
began his career as a simple gold-washer, having been
fortunate enough to acquire a httle money, he left that
occupation and purchased this estate about twenty years
before our visit, at a time when it was entirely covered
with forest. He is now one of the most wealthy, if not
the wealthiest individual in this part of the country.; the
cultivation of coffae having enriched most of the inha-
bitants of this fertile region. His estate yields him about
1 1,000 arrobas of coffee ; and also a considerable quantity
of <5heese, sugar and rum, whidb are chiefly sent to
market in Bio de Janeiro. He was veay desirous we
should remain all night, but we were obliged to refuse
his hospitality, having promised to return to the house
of the Colonel, vA\h the intention of resuming our journey
early on the following day.
640 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL^
On the morning of the 31st. we left Colonel LeitCi
and in the evening reached Porto da Cunha, which is six
leagues further down the river ; we had to travel more
than eight leagues, having mistaken our road. Some
parts of the country through which we travelled were very
romantic, particularly by the side of the river, the banks
of which were often rocky and well wooded ; the forests
are, indeed, the most magnificent that it is possible to
imagine. We passed a few small houses belonging
chiefly to coloured people, but it was only towards the
termination of oiu* journey that we saw one or two lai^
coffee plantations. About three o'clock in the afternoon,
while we were passing through a very dense tract of
forest country, we came upon a place about three or four
acres in extent, that seemed to have been lately cleared,
with a small house formed of stakes and palm leaves,
standing in the centre. On arriving at the house, we
found it belonged to an Indian family, consisting of a
man, his wife, and four children. They were just collecting
their crop of Indian com, a good feed of which was readily
obtained for our animals, but we could procure nothing
eatable for ours.elves. At some distance beyond this
place, I found, in a rather open part of the forest, a beau-
tiful arboreous species of BugenviUea^ quite distinct from
any yet described ; it forms a tree from twenty to forty
feet high, with a stem more than two feet in circum-
ference; unfortunately I lost all the specimens I col-
lected, through the carelessness of my servant. In the
deep forests, I found many different Orchideous plants
upon the stems of the trees, among which was the rare
and beautiful Runtleya ineleagr%%.
OURO PBETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 541
It was quite dark when we reached Porto da Cunha,
where we could find no place of accommodation; we
were first referred to a Venda a little way further down
the river, but on arriving there, we found it to be a new
house in an unfinished state, and not yet inhabited, so
that it offered no accommodation for man or beast. From
this place we were directed to a small village about half
a league still further down the river, called San Jose, but
at the same time we were informed, that about half way
to the village, we should see a small Fazenda belonging to
an elderly widow, who sometimes gave shelter to travel-
lers ; we accordingly made application at this place, and
were received for the night. The house had certainly a
very miserable appearance, but we were glad to find any
sort of quarters. The old lady, whose name was Dona
Custodia, was, however, rather suspicious of us, perhaps
firom our arriving at so late an hour, for looking over the
balcony, she asked us why we did not go to different
houses she mentioned; but, on replying that we were
strangers, and had no acquaintance with those individuals,
she then told us to dismount. Com was immediately
ordered for our animals, and in a short time supper was
sent to us, consisting of a little fried salt beef, and several
dishes prepared from the Indian com meal, which though
a very poor substitute for a meal, afforded us, as we were
hungry, a hearty dinner and supper at the same time.
Shortly afterwards, we were shown into our bed-room, a
little closet, with two camp bedsteads in it, on one of
which a miserable black man was sitting, who also ap-
peared to be a traveller ; the other we were told was at
our disposal, and we had no alternative but to make use
542 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
of it; a hide was spread on the floor for the servant
and in this small room, which was scarcely large enough
for two persons, four of us had to pass the night. To
crown all, the roof was so bad that we might have studied
astronomy through it ; and the window, which was not
glazed, and without a shutter, looked into a pig-sly, by
the inmates of which we were aroused early in the morn-
ing. If, however, the accommodation was bad, the charge
made for it next morning was but a mere trifle, amounting
only to one shilling and eight pence in all, including,
besides, a cup of coffee in the morning, and another feed
of com to the mules. I gave her about double the sum,
with many thanks besides for her kindness, with which
she was not a little pleased. She had once, she told us,
been in better circumstances, in the Mining district,
but had lost her money in some unfortunate mining
speculations, and had come down to this place with her
son, to endeavour to gain a livelihood by making sugar
and rum, which they dispose of chiefly in the adjoining
village.
From Dona Custodia, we went on to the Arraial de
San Jose, in the hope of getting a comfortable breakfast,
but in this we were disappointed, as nothing was to be
had there. We then returned to the Porto da Cunha,
where we were equally unsuccessful, but were informed
that a breakfast might be had at a Yenda on the opposite
side of the river; there is a ferry at this place, which is
in the hands of the provincial government of Minas
Geraes, and a sergeant is stationed here, who levies the
passage money, as well as the duties payable on such
articles as are sent out of the province ; as it was our
OURO PRETO TO EIO DE JANEIRO. 543
original intention to re-cross the river at this place, we
lost no time in accomplishing it, the conveyance being
exactly the same as that at Porto d' Anta ; when we went
up to the Venda, we found, to our astonishment, that
they could give us nothing to eat ; but the lad who kept
the Venda, and who was a most uncivil wretch, at last
told us that he had some salt fish and rusks, which we
might purchase, but that he would not cook the fish for
us ; this, however, we contrived to do ourselves, at a fire
which our servant kindled outside.
Leaving Porto da Cunha, we went on in an easterly
direction, it being our intention to visit a small town,
called Cantagallo, which at one time was a famous place
for gold washing. Very shortly after we started, we
passed through a large coffee estate, belonging to the
celebrated Brazilian deputy, Gameiro Leao, and about a
league farther on, came upon the Bio Paquequer grande^
down the south banks of which we went a considerable
way, through some fine forests. Towards dusk, while we
were pushing on, without knowing where we might find
quarters for the night, we met a young man, who had
been out hunting, and by him we were informed that
there was a Fazenda only a little further on, to which he
belonged, where no doubt we should be welcome to spend
the night ; we also learned from him that we were not
on the right road to Cantagallo, although it would take
us to it but by a worse, and more circuitous route.
Arrived at the Fazenda, we were shown into a well fur-
nished apartment, and immediately after, the owner came
to bid U8 welcome. Learning that we came from Mr.
March's Fazenda, he came up, shook me by the hand,
544 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
when T recognized him to be a Dr. Saporiti, who about a
month before, had stopped a night at Mr. March's, on his
way from the city; he expressed himself greatly delighted
to see us, ordered coffee, and told us we should shortly
have supper. In the mean time, he introduced us to his
lady, whom we found to be more refined in her manners
than the generality of the wives of Fazendeh-os, no
doubt from her having resided many years in -Rio de
Janeiro. The young man who conducted us to his house,
we found to be her son by a former husband. Dr.
Saporiti is an Italian by birth, but had been upwards of
twenty years in Brazil. About ten o'clock we sat down
to ail excellent supper, and altogether the evening passed
away miost agreeably, from the enUvening conversation of
our host and hostess, the latter in particular, amusing us
with the pictures which she drew of rustic life in the
distant province of Mato Grosso, of which she is a native.
Next morning, breakfast was prepared early on our
account, as we wished to start in good time. Owing to
the bad state of the roads, it was six o'clock in the
evening before we reached Cantagallo, though the dis-
tance was only four leagues ; the country is thickly
wooded, and in general, rather level. On the descent of
a high hill, we passed through a large coffee plantation
which had been abandoned, in consequence of the cold
being too great to allow the berries to come to perfection.
Between this, however, and Cantagallo, we saw some
very extensive plantations, both the soil and cUmate being
admirably adapted for the growth of the coffee plant.
The Villa of Cantagallo is situated in a narrow valley
bounded on each side by rather high hills ; it consists
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 545
principally of one long street, and a large square, of which
only two sides are completed; the houses are mostly
well built, and on the whole it has a neat and clean
appearance. Formerly there were many gold washings
in the neighbourhood, but now scarcely any one occupies
himself in searching for this metal. The great article of
product is coffee, with which immense tracts are planted ;
it is conveyed by mules to the head of the bay, and then
shipped for Bio. We took up our quarters at an inn
kept by a Frenchman, a man of immense size, and well
advanced in years, who informed us that in his youth he
belonged to the body guard of Napoleon. On the second
morning after our arrival, we resumed our journey, and
at nine o'clock p.m. reached the Swiss colony of Novo
Friburgo, about eight leagues distant. The first part of
the journey leads through a lever country which is well
cultivated, but the road afterwards becomes very moun-
tainous, particularly during the last two leagues, through
a wild and romantic deep pass ; though it was late before
we reached the end of our journey, the briUiant moon-
light enabled us to admire some of the beauties of the
scenery.
"The town of Novo Friburgo, called also Morro Quei-
mado, is built in the form of a square, with the houses
nearly all of one story ; it is inhabited principally by
natives of Switzerland, who emigrated to Brazil many
years ago; several Brazilian famihes also reside here.
About a mile to the west, there is a small village in
which the Protestant part of the settlers Uve. The
greater number of the colonists, however, are scattered
in the country for several miles round. They are very
2n
546 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
poor, having been placed by the Brazilian government in
one of the worst possible places for the raertion of their
industry, the situation being elevated more than 3,000
feet above the level of the sea, with a bad soil, and a
climate quite unfitted for the cultivation of either coffee
or sugar. Their principal crops are Indian com, and a
few European vegetables ; they also make a little butter.
The climate being very agreeable during the summer
mouths, many families, both foreign and Brazilian, come
here to escape the great heat of the city. The mountain
scenery around is very fine, but is far from equaling that
of the Organ Mountains. There is a good inn in the
town, kept by a Swiss, where we put up during our short
stay.
We left Novo Friburgo on the 6th of April, and re-
turned to the Organ Mountains. Passing in a westerly
direction through a hilly, wooded country, we arrived in
the afternoon at a small house situated in a valley by the
side of a Uttle stream, where we were glad to take up our
quarters for the night, as it had rained heavily from about
midnight; we could get nothing for our dinner but a
few boiled cabbage leaves and rice. A short time before
we arrived at this place, we passed through a dense forest
of large trees, on the stems and branches of which, grew
immense quantities of the beautiful Gesneria btdbcsa,
the large panicles of which, consisting of numerous bril-
liant scarlet flowers, hung down over our heads in the
path. Orchideous plants were also abundant ; one of the
finest of which, the Oncidium Porbesii, was in flower.
On the following night we slept at a small estate belonging
to Admiral Taylor, an Englishman who has been long in
OXJRO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 647
the Brazilian service, whom I knew well, but we did not
find him at home ; and in the afternoon of the next day,
after a ride of about three leagues, we arrived at Mr.
March's Fazenda.
Notwithstanding that this visit to the Organ Moun-
tains was made at the same season as my previous one,
the variety of the vegetation is so great, that I added to
my collection several hundred plants I had not formerly
met with. My general health, which had suffered a good
deal from the fatigues of my long jpurney in the interior,
and by pretty close confinement for three months in Bio
during the hot season, improved wonderfully by my so-
journ on the mountains. There were not so many English
families here at this time as there were in 1837, and there
was consequently less gaiety ; but most of my leisure
hours were spent agreeably at one or other of the
cottages.
2n2
CHAPTER XV.
MARANHAM, VOYAGE TO ENGLAND, CONCLUSION.
Leaves the Organ Mountains and returns to Bio de Janeiro— embarks
for England with large Collections of living and dried Plants —
Touches at Maranham — City described — ^Its Population — ^Public
Buildings — and Trade — Geology of its neighbourhood — Visits Al-
cantara— Sails for England — Gulph Weed — Its great extent and
origin — ^Flying Fishes — Observations on their mode of flight—
Bemarkable Phosphorescence at Sea — ^Description of the singular
animal that causes this phenomenon — Its curious nests — Scintilla-
tions at Sea caused by a veiy minute kind of Shrimp — ^Arrives in
England — Concluding remarks.
Learning that there was a vessel in the harbour at Rio,
about to sail for Liverpool, and being now anxious to
return to England, I put my collections into order, and
left the Organ Mountains on the morning of the 25th of
April, reached Piedade the same evening, and arrived in
the city early next morning. Besides Botanical speci-
mens for the Herbariimi, I collected during my residence
on the mountains a large number of the most beautiful
plants in a living state to take home with me. They
filled six large Wardian cases, but scarcely half of them
reached England alive, owing to the boxes not having
been properly constructed ; many of those which survived
are now widely dispersed, and are very ornamental
plants.*
* Among those which were introduced to England for the first time
on this occasion, may be enumerated the following : — Bipkoeampylus
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 549
Early in the morning of the 6th of May, I went on
board the barque "Gipsey**, which shortly after got
under weigh. She was not, however, bound for England
direct, having to call at Maranham, in the north of Brazil,
to take in a cargo of cotton. I was thus unexpectedly
afforded an opportunity of seeing another of the large
Brazihan sea-ports, and of making a few collections in a
part of the empire, which possesses a different vegetation
from any I had hitherto visited. We had a fine run to
Maranham, which place we reached in fifteen days. The
night before we made land, we had a strong breeze off
shore, which brought with it a vast number of moths
and butterfiies of all sizes,' and of those that came on
board, I was enabled to make a collection of about a
dozen species. The land here, as at Pemambuco, is very
flat ; the great sea-ports of Brazil diminish in importance
from south to north, the most important being Rio, the
next Bahia, the third Pemambuco, and the fourth Maran-
ham. The town of S. Luiz de Maranham is situated on
a slightly elevated part of the north-west end of an island
of the same name, which is about seven leagues long by
five broad, and is separated from the maia land by a
channel of no great breadth. The river, in the mouth
of which it is situated, is formed by the union of several
betitUrfoliuBy G. Don. ; Pleroma BerUhamumay Gardn. and P. muUiflora,
Gardn.; FrancMceahydrangeaformiSyVohi-, Nematanthits lanffipeSy'Pohl;
Oesneria salvurfoliay Gardn., and Q. leptopes, Gardn. ; Clusia froffrans^
Gturdn. ; Luxemburgia ciliatay Gardn. ; Dorstenia elata. Hook. ; Prepusa
connata, Gardn., and P. Hookeriana, Gardn. ; Campomanesia hirsuta,
QtBidn. ; Bidens tpedosay Gurdn. ; Boumumia speciosa, Gardn. ; Anemia
atricia, Gardn. M.S. ; Fteris sagitt^rfoliay Eaddi ; AMroemeria nemorosa,
Gardn. ; Euterpe edulia, Mart., and Corypha cerifera, Mart., from
Maranham.
550 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
smaller ones which take their origin in the south-western
portions of the province. The population of the town
is said to amount to about 26,000 ; the houses are sub-
stantially built of a reddish coloured sand-stone, are
mostly of two stories, and more regular in their appearance
than those of the other large BraziUan cities ; the streets
are generally well paved, and cleaner than any I have seen
in the country, no doubt owing to many of them having
a slight inclination, which allows them to benefit by the
heavy falls of rain that had already set in when we arrived.
It contains eighty-five churches ; the palace of the Presi-
dent forms part of a large square, the remainder of which
consists of a large building formerly the College of the
Jesuits, the prison, and the town-hall. A very consider-
able trade is carried on here both of import and export :
most of the European goods which arrive, are sent up to
the interior of the province, and also into that of Piauhy ;
the principal exports are cotton and hides.
On my arrival at Maranham, I was very kindly received
by the English residents there, who had heard of me when
I was at Oeiras, and was invited to take up my quarters
in the house of the English physician, Dr. Arbuckle.
As the ship remained about three weeks, I had ample
time to make a few excursions in the neighbourhood, but
was prevented from seeing as much of the ooimtry as I
wished, on account of the rains.
The island on which the town stands is very flat, in
some places marshy, and covered with a vegetation of
shrubs and small trees. In the marshes grow some fine
Palms belonging to the generhMfalea and Euterpe. There
are but very few cocoa-nut trees ; and indeed the general
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 551
appearance of the country indicates a less humid climate,
and consequently a less vigorous vegetation than exists
towards the southern tropic. On the island there is but
httle cultivation ; much of the soil is of a sandy nature
on the surface, and below that, of a gravelly character,
highly impregnated with iron ; and the same also is the
case on the continent opposite the town. The rock which
forms the basis of the island, is a dark red sandstone,
similar to that which I found in the provinces of Ceara
and Piauhy in connection with the chalk formation of
those parts of the country. In many places it is of a con-
glomerate nature, the rounded stones being of the same
character as the softer matrix in which they are imbedded.
On the opposite continent, near the town of Alcantara, I
found the same rock rising only a little above the level of
the sea, but overlaid by another rocky deposit, more than
fifty feet thick in some places, consisting of alternate
strata of yellowish and greenish coloured sand-stone,
irregularly deposited, soft, and in some places of a marly
nature. These rocks I have no hesitation in considering
as equivalent to those which underlie the white chalk
near the Villa do Crato and Barra do Jardim, in the inte-
rior of the province of Ceara, and they no doubt formed
part of the great chalk deposit, which seems at one time
to have covered the eastern shoulder of the South Ameri-
can continent, but which in many places has since dis-
appeared.
Besides making excursions in all directions in the island,
I also crossed over to Alcantara, where I remained three
days. I had a letter of introduction to the principal
merchant in the place, Senhor Peichoto, a native of Por-
552 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
tugal, and with him I lived during my stay there. I
crossed the bay, which is about four leagues broad, in one
of the regular trading vessels, which are about forty tons
burden ; these carry over from Alcantara, cotton and fire-
wood, the fonner is cultivated at some distance in the inte-
rior, whence it is brought in on the backs of horses ; the
fire-wood is obtained fi-om the stems and branches of the
mangrove CRhizqphora Manglejy which grows in great
abundance along the muddy shores : it burns in the green
state better perhaps than any other kind of tree. Along
these muddy shores great flocks of the beautiful Red Fla-
mingo fPhanicopterm CMlensis, Molina;, are almost
always to be seen. At night they roost among the man-
groves, and are much sought after by the inhabitants,
who consider their flesh excellent food. The town of
Alcantara, like that of Maranham, is situated on a rising
ground, and seems to have been once in a more flourish-
ing state than at present ; the houses and churches are
mostly large, but are in a very dilapidated state, while
the streets are overgrown with weeds. The more wealthy
people who reside here, are the proprietors of cotton plan-
tations, while the poorer, gain a livehhood by fishing and
making hammocks, for which latter article there is a great
demand through the northern provinces. Some of these
are so finely worked, that they sell for as much as six or
eight pounds each : they are made of fine cotton cords,
and are either altogether of a white colour, or white and
blue, the latter colour being obtained from the wild
Indigo, which grows abundantly all over the country.
There are Salinas, or salt-pits, a few miles to the north
of the town, which formerly belonged to the Jesuits, and
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 553
were profitably worked by them, but they are now very
much neglected. Along the shore, and scattered here
and there among the bushes on the low hills, I saw a
few plants of the wax palm {Corypha cerifera, Mart.),
which is so common about Aracaty in the province of
Ceara.
In the course of my rambles in this neighbourhood, I
met with many plants that were new to my Collections ;
the Flora of Maranham has greater affinity with that of
Guiana, than with any other part of Brazil I have visited,
as might indeed be expected from its northerly position ;
it is also well known that such plants as grow only near
the sea, have a far more extensive geographical range,
that those which grow inland. I was particularly struck
with this fact in travelling into the interior from Pemam-
buco and Aracaty : at both of these places are seen many
plants common to the shores of the West Indies, Guiana,
and nearly the whole of the intertropical coast of Brazil,
while in the same parallels of latitude, from a httle way
inland, to the most western point I reached, the vegetation
had a distinct character from that of any other place.
The same observations apply to extensive plains, the vege-
tation of which is so frequently and annoyingly monotonous
to the botanist, while on elevated tracts a much greater
diversity occurs. It was the knowledge of this fact that in-
duced me, during the whole of my travels, to keep as
much as possible along mountain chains and elevated
table lands. No satisfactory reason has yet been sug-
gested, to account for the greater number of species which
exist in a given space on a mountain, than on a plain ;
temperature, light, and moisture, no doubt play the most
554 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
important part, but there must be other causes yet un-
known.
At Maranham I met two of my Oeiras acquaintancGS ;
one of them, though a major in the army, was a]so a mer-
chant, who had come down to purchase European goods,
the other a son of the old Baron of Paranahiba, whose
object was to enter into holy orders, previous to his
being appointed Vicar of Oeiras. From them I learned
that the insurrection had at last been put down, and
that the provmce was subsiding into a more settled
state. The authorities were apprehending all those they
could lay their hands on, who had been engaged in the
affair, and sending them to the province of Bio Grande
do Sul, to fight against the rebels there ; a rare piece of
policy ! I saw several parties of them brought down, and
a very ill looking set of fellows they were.
The ship at length having taken in all her cargo, I
embarked, and finally bade adieu to the shores of Brazil,
on the morning of the eight of June. While we were in
about the fifty-sixth degree of west longitude, and
between the twenty-second and twenty-eighth degrees of
north latitude, we passed through those enormous fields
of sea-weed, {Sarffossum dacciferum Agardh), which
have been described by almost every voyager in those
seas. It existed generally in long narrow strips or bands,
lying across the wind, sometimes not more than the ships
length apart, at other times at a considerable distance
from each other. Much diversity of opinion exists as to
the origin of this floating mass ; Humboldt beheves it to
be detached from rocks, at a considerable depth in the
latitudes where it floats ; while others suppose it to come
YOTAGfi TO ENGLAND. 555
from the shores of the northern seas, having been
detached from the rocks by the violence of the winds.
Some again imagine that it comes from the rocky shores
of the gulphs of Mexico and Florida ; while many agree
with me in beheving that it has never had any other than
its present place of abode ; no one has ever seen it
attached to rocks, nor have roots ever been discovered
belonging to it. During the five or six days that we
sailed through this gulph-weed, I hooked on board more
than a thousand pieces, and every one of them presented
the same appearance; the lower end of the stem had
always a whitish, decayed appearance, just like a piece
of tangle which has been some time cast on shore, while
the extremities of the branches were universally of a very
fresh and healthy appearance ; such being the case, we can
scarcely help believing that these remarkable plants have
existed since the time of their first creation, to the present
period, as we now find them, floating always in this revolv-
ing gulph stream, and undergoing a perpetual mutation
from the decay at one extremity, and growth at the other ;
there is nothing unreasonable in this opinion, as sea-weeds
are not like land plants, which derive nourishment from
the spot to which they are attached. I found among the
weed, a great variety of Zoophytes and other minute
marine animals ; a crab measuring from an inch to an
inch and a half across, was firequent, and I observed the
nest of one, formed by the small branches woven together
by a strong kind of thread, not unhke that of which
spiders make their webs ; it contained a number of young
ones.
In those latitudes, it was also curious to watch the
556 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
flight of the flying-fishes {Exocetus volitans), whole shoal?
of which rose quite close to the ship ; and I have perfectly
satisfied myself, not only on this occasion, but during
the several times I have crossed the ocean, that they
make use of their pectoral fins as wings, during the time
they remain above water. This fact I was particularly
desirous to ascertain, as Cuvier, and all other authors I
have consulted on the subject, except Humboldt, deny
that this is the case.* The distance to which they fly
is sometimes very short, at others I have watched them
skimming along till the eye almost lost sight of them ;
I should say that they firequently extend their flight to
* three hundred yards ; the height to which they rise above
the surface of the sea, does not usually exceed three or four
feet, but that they rise higher is well known, from the fact
that they not unfirequently fly on board ships, which are
from ten to fifteen feet out of the water. When the sea
is calm, they shoot along on the same plane, *like an
arrow, and the impulse they acquire on leaving the
water, appears to be that alone which impels them
onward. The first time I discovered that they certainly
use their fins as wings, was one day when a rather high
swell was running ] a good many fish were rising, but
not in great numbers at a time. Solitaiy individuals
could be followed by the eye to a great distance, but
during their progress they did not keep on the same
plane, nor did the course of their flight form the segment
of a circle, but they could most distinctly be seen rising
• The following is the statement of Baron Cuvier : — " Leur vol
n*est jamais- bien long ; s'elevant pour fuir les poissons voraces, ils
rctombent bientot, parce que leurs aQes ne leur servent que de parachu-
tes. " Le Kegiie animal. Tom. 2. p. 287. Edit. 1829.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 557
and falling over the heavy swell, keeping always at
about the same height above the water, just as a bird
would do; the Albatros, for example, when skimming
along in search of food. The only time I ever saw
distinctly the fins moved in the manner of wings, was
in the South Atlantic Ocean ; one beautifully clear day,
when we were running quietly along under the influence
of a light breeze, several large dolphins were playing
about, one of which we saw give chase to a flying-fish ;
the latter rose, but its flight was followed by the dolphin.
It fell close to the ship, and in attempting to rise again,
the impulse was not sufficient to throw it completely out
of the water ; it flew along with its tail nearly out of the
sea, for about a yard, when it fell a prey to its pursuer ;
several of the other passengers were watching it also,
and by all of us the large fins were seen to be worked
with great rapidity. I agree with Humboldt,* that
these fishes do not always rise out of the water to escape
from their enemies, as they often spring up close to ships,
when there are no signs of large fishes being near. Why
should the flying-fish, having the power to do so, not
enjoy a flight in the air, quite as much as a duck does
a dive under the water, or land animals the luxury of
bathing?
Another remarkable oceanic phenomenon, is the bril-
liant phosphorescence of the water, which frequently
occurs in low latitudes ; and, presuming it will not be
misplaced I shall make a few observations on the subject.
On my passage fix)m England, and while we were about
2® of south latitude, and 26° of west longitude, I was
* Personal Narrative, vol. ii. p. 15.
558 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
called up by the captain, about half-past ten o'clock at
night, to witness a remarkable appearance the sea had
assumed ; upon reaching the deck, one of the most mag-
nificent scenes imaginable presented itself; all round the
ship, and to as great a distance as the eye could reach,
the swell, which was running pretty high, was emitting
from its surface, at short intervals, long broad sheets of
phosphorescent light, which continued bright only for a
second or two, and then disappeared. The continued
glare of these long streams of Ught, their sudden appear-
ance and disappearance, as if detached portions of sheet
lightning were flashing from wave to wave, gave a wild
and terrific aspect to the surface of the ocean ; the re-
flection from it was so great, that the sails of the ship were
illumined by the glare. On looking over the ship's stem,
her wake for about fifty yards, was one continued stream
of pale yellow light, upon which, ever and anon, were
floating away, and becoming extinct, curious masses of
a circular shape, varying from half a foot, to two feet in
breadth, of a livid hue, similar to that which burning
sulphur emits. These masses retained their livid flame-
like appearance till they reached about six or eight yards
from the ship, when they gradually became extinct;
their beautiful colour contrasting singularly with the pale
yellow stream on which they floated. This curious state
of the sea only lasted about a quarter of an hour, the
water then assuming its usual aspect, the foam at the
ship's bow only presenting the sparkling appearance
which it usually exhibits within the tropics. This oc-
curred on the 7th of July ; the weather had been cloudy
all day, with the thermometer 79® at noon ; the night
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 659
was dark, and it was blowing a firesh breeze from E.S.E.,
the ship going at the rate of six knots an hour.
It is well known that the circular masses of light which
I have described, are produced irom aggregated masses
of very small marine animals, to which the name of
PyroBoma is given ; I did not, however, capture any, as
my towing net was as this time out of order, but during
my voyage to Ceylon I was more fortunate; on the
25th of November, 1843, in about S'^ and 4° N. lat., and
23° W. long., with cloudy weather, and the thermometer
8 1*' at noon, shortly after it became dark, we got into
a field of these animals, and though the brilliancy of their
light was not not so great as on the former occasion, they
were more numerous, the ship sailing though them for
several hours. They were seen in broad shoals at great
but irregular distances from each other. The towing
net on being thrown overboard, soon procured me a large
supply of the extraordinary animals of which these shoals
were composed ; they gave out a bright pale yellowish
green light, which they retained for some time after being
brought on board. Each mass was shaped not unlike
the finger of a glove, being hollow, and closed at one
end; they varied a httle in size, but were generally
about four inches in length. The Uttle animals of which
these masses are made up, are placed horizontally, and
lie closely packed over each other, their head being
towards the outer surface. When kept in a glass in salt
water for some time, they soon separated firom each other,
and being very transparent were then scarcely to be dis-
tinguished from the water ; they taste exactly like fresh
oysters. During this voyage, I obtained four distinct
560 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
species, two of which were taken off the Cape of Good
Hope ; one of these finger-like masses, taken near the
Equator, measured about two feet in length. I have
often observed close to the ship, these bodies at a consi-
derable depth, giving out a faint light ; and I am per-
suaded that the brilliant flashes which were emitted from
the sides of the swell, on the first occasion, were caused
by the number of the PyroaonuB then existing in the sea.
The scintillations which issued from the foam, dashed
up by the ship, were caused by a phosphorescent micro-
scopic species of shrimp {Noctiluca oceanica ? Spix), which
I collected in great numbers, in a net made from an old
flag.
Our voyage home was a quick and a very pleasant one.
We were only thirty-two days altogether at sea from
Maranham, we had no rough weather, aud the only calm
day we experienced occurred between our losing the N.E.
trades, and falling in with westerly winds. The nearer
I approached home, the more my desire increased to be
again among my friends; and this I beheve, under
similar circumstances, almost universally occurs. When
we are at a great distance from, and know that we have no
immediate chance of returning to those who are ti^, /to
us, we suppress as much as possible, the indul^^cnce in ,
hopes which cannot be realized ; but when we ft^l that
every hour is bringing us nearer home, we throw off all
restraint on our imagination, and only regret, that our
progress cannot be accelerated. On the evening of the
eighth of July the welcome cry of " land " was heard, and
on the following afternoon we made the mouth of the
Mersey, but for want of sufficient water, we had to stand.
CONCLUSION. 561
off and on till next morning, during which interval we
experienced a smart gale of wind from the N.N.W., which
kept us all awake. Early next morning, the 10th of
July, 1841, 1 stood once more on British ground, after
an absence of upwards of five years.
Having now brought my narrative to a conclusion, it
only remains to notice that the object I had in view when
I left England, has been accomplished to the satisfaction
of all concerned in it, and the anticipations I indulged
of the pleasures to be derived from such an expedition,
have not been disappointed ; if almost every day brought
its little annoyances, they were more than compensated
by the delight which new scenes, and objects for study
constantly produfcfed. Difficulties only appear insur-
mountable, wheh'they ere* not looked boldly in the face ;
and it is fortunate for us, that the bright side of the pic-
ture of the past, presents itself more frequentiy than the
dork. I have much to congratulate myself upon ; for
although often exposed both by night and by day, my
health save only on one occasion, continued good ; and
wi^L v.iiy few exceptions, I received the greatest kindness
6:om aU^my fellow men with whom I came in contact.
I have also been more fortunate than many natural
history travellers, for the numerous collections shipped
to England, from time to time, all arrived safely ; the
letters, too, which I despatched, reached their destination,
with only one exception; and not one of those from
home was lost, although often long in coming to my
hands. It was not without many regrets that I left
2o
662 CONCLUSION.
Brazil, for the life I led was free and independent ; the
climate agreed better with my health than that of
England ; and the country is beautiful, and richer than
any other in the world in those objects, to the study of
which I have devoted my life.
THE END,
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